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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29638767">NIGHT CRAWLING</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nila_27/pseuds/Nila_27'>Nila_27</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Batman - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Cancer, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Murder</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 20:01:18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>30,737</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29638767</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nila_27/pseuds/Nila_27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Gia Gordon, the younger half-sister of Jim Gordon, has only a few months left of life and intends to spend them trying to cure herself of terminal cancer. After being smited for her want of unethical experimentation on herself, she turns to one of Gotham's most unethical beings to aid her in what is hopefully her resurrection-despite him never being known to ever play fair.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Jason Todd/Original Female Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Gia's depicted as Jessica Lucas in my mind, picture whoever you want.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em> <strong>PROLOGUE</strong> </em>
</p><p>Jim Gordon swipes the sweat from his brows, cursing the broken air conditioning unit in his office, his wall scattered with news clippings, yarn pinned to various different case subjects, expired calenders, and framed certifications, the corners of his papers on his desk picking up slightly in the line of the box fan blowing on him in the corner as he picks through the stack of mail marked "PRIORITY." </p><p>Most of it is in relation to cases, sent off lab results and identity verifications…</p><p>"Jim, we've got another body," an officer says as she opens the door of his office. </p><p>"Another one?" He stands up quickly, grabbing his key and his coat, and she nods. </p><p>"Downtown, Motel 012," she says next. "Witness is zoned out and isnt speaking--suspected from trauma." She adds, and Jim exhales. </p><p>Upon arrival to the crime scene, guests if the motel are out looking at the group of law enforcement investigating one room on the second story of the building. </p><p>"Caucasian male, around 40 to 50 years of age, a regular according to receptionist," Renee Montoya says to Jim as he steps through caution tape and glances around the motel room scattered with blood…</p><p>"Weapon?" </p><p>"Nothing, no bullet hole, no stab wounds, no evidence of blunt force," she states. </p><p>"Then why so much blood?"</p><p>Jim looks over the naked body, swollen and bloated, skin blotchy, a nearly solid black and blue ring around his waist, the skin around his heart dotted with bright red, blood pasted to his chin and lips that are pulled into a wide, luring smile, eyes wide...the reek of shit soiling the room…</p><p>"Joker," Jim suggests, but he quickly changing his mind when he pushes the man's head to the side to see bloated and necrotic flesh around bite marks in his neck, leaking with fluid. </p><p>"I ain't never seen the Joker do all that," Renee mumbles. </p><p>"We got vampires in Gotham, now?" An officer asks, smartly. </p><p>"We'll get the lab to run it once we get the autopsy started." Jim forces himself not to jump to conclusions being this is the fourth body in a row with the same bite mark. "Where's the witness?" </p><p>"On her way to the E.R. to get a rape kit." Renee informs him. </p><p>"Self-defense, possibly?" Jim asks and she shrugs. </p><p>"I don't think she did this. She didn't look like she'd <em>done</em> anything. She looked like she'd <em>seen</em> something." She explains.</p><p>"Alright, head down there, see if you can get a statement. Then ask around for any more witnesses that might have seen or heard anything. I'm gonna make sure someone checks to see if the Joker is still in Arkham--and find out where the hell Harley is. I wanna know who the hell got ahold of Joker venom if not one of them." He says, standing back up and looking around the room, breathing out under his breath, his heart pounding in his chest, "Baby sister, what have you done, now?" </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. CHAPTER ONE</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <strong>CHAPTER ONE </strong>
  </em>
</p><p>Gia hums softly to the radio that's barely loud enough to hear as she downs her next dose of Oxycodone before the last one has time to wear off. </p><p>She's not spending another night wide awake and nearly writhing in pain due to the demon eating through her body. </p><p>Glancing at the clock, feeling a small sense of worry. </p><p>He should be back by now. </p><p>She shouldn't even be up, but also can't make herself try to go to bed without knowing he's gotten in safe. </p><p>Her fingers come up to run through her hair, but she's stopping herself, remembering how easily the black strands will come out with just the slightest pull...she hasn't washed her hair in three weeks because of it.</p><p>She hears the window in the bedroom slide open and slowly before the booming bark of a Doberman on the defense. </p><p>"It's me dude, damn!" She chuckles at the sound of her boyfriend talking to their dog, and tip toes to peek her head in. </p><p>The two men have made peace by now, Jason rough-housing with him while Rambo playfully nips at his fingers. </p><p>"Where's mom, huh?" Jason asks him quietly. "She's supposed to be in bed by now, she's got a doctor's appointment in three hours."  He adds, knowing she can hear him. </p><p>She clears her throat and he looks up to the door. </p><p>"Maybe I'd be in bed if somebody were home." She suggests softly but smartly, crossing her arms. </p><p>"You know I have late nights, Gia." He stands up and takes his jacket off. </p><p>"Especially the nights you get arrested and I have to bail you out. Those are really fun." She scoffs, stepping to the bed and pulling the covers back. </p><p>"That's only happened once." He says from the bathroom, and she rolls her eyes. </p><p>"Yeah, and if I wasn't the commissioner's half-sister--and I wasn't dying--you'd be locked up by now." </p><p>He shakes his head to himself and squeezes his eyes closed, taking a breath. </p><p>"And I appreciate you pulling the 'sibling with cancer' card at all cost to get me outta trouble," he says next as he comes back in, wearing nothing but boxer briefs and Gia snuggles up in the covers and gets comfortable, facing his side of the bed. </p><p>He gets in next to her and reaches his hand out to tuck stands of her hair behind her ear, his fingertips brushing across her skin in the process. </p><p>She looks tired, but he knows it's not because she hasn't been getting much sleep lately. </p><p>"Do you think they're gonna tell me it's gotten worse?" She asks him in a whisper and he raises his brows. </p><p>"Do you?" He asks her back and she blinks for a few moments, trying to avoid the tears that threaten to spill over her cheeks. </p><p>"I feel like it has." She admits. </p><p>"Gia, you're gonna beat this, alright? It doesn't matter if it's gotten worse or not. You're gonna beat this." He assures her and she sniffles, his hopeful, bright blue eyes piercing into her brown ones in the room only lit by the city lights outside. "And we've got that thing for Wayne Enterprises tomorrow night, a good time for you to pitch that idea to Bruce…" </p><p>"I highly doubt he'd be interested in my wacky, disease-induced, illogical ideas." She tells him. </p><p>"He also knows very little about biotechnology so if you explain it to him in a first grade level translation, he'd be willing to at least think on it." </p><p>"Okay," she nods, trying not to be scared, but they both know she is. </p><hr/><p>"...It appears that the cancer has spread from the cervix and vagina, to your lymph nodes around the pelvic bone, and that has essentially carried to your lowest left rib." Dr. Ambros regretfully informs Gia, running her fingers over the x-ray, pointing to multiple clusters of spots in the picture…</p><p>It's not a punch in the face to Gia, she had a feeling it had gotten worse--she'd started coughing up blood a couple days ago but didn't tell anybody to avoid being in the hospital yet again with an episode. </p><p>Jason on the other hand...a lump the size of a softball hugs the inside of his throat, and he tries to keep it together for Gia, trying to be the strong, stoic one that he'd always been to give her room to be the one to react appropriately. But this? </p><p>"I assume my prognosis is changing like last time?" Gia asks calmly. </p><p>"Being that chemo and radiation treatments are clearly no longer working, I'd say it's merely a matter of time. Possibly even less than three months--six at the most." </p><p>Jason feels nausea rise in his throat. </p><p>Gia just nods and says, "okay," because it's better than she thought it would be. </p><p>"No, it's not okay," Jason chuckles humorlessly. </p><p>"Jason,"</p><p>"People come in here for some hope and all you do is place a shitty estimated number on their time." </p><p>"Jason, please, don't do this." Gia rubs her forehead. </p><p>"Mr. Wayne, with all do respect--"</p><p>"--It's 'Todd'." He snaps, standing up. </p><p>"Jaso--"</p><p>"--Mr. Todd, we have done everything we can do for her. She knows that we have ever since she was diagnosed." </p><p>"You told her she'd have five years and possibly longer since it was caught early--five years for new technologies to be discovered and utilized, five years worth of time to get a cure for this shit--and now only six months later you're sitting with your thumbs up your ass and telling her she's lucky if she gets another six months?!" </p><p>"Cervical cancer is tedious--cancer is tedious." She states. </p><p>"Why the hell has Wayne Enterprises donated to you motherfuckers in the first--"</p><p>"--Okay, we're leaving," Gia can't take it anymore, already stressed out but her boyfriend's tantrum isn't helping. </p><p>"Get plenty of rest, Gia, I'll get you your prescription refill by tomorrow." Ambros assures Gia over Jason's galvanizing as she tries to herd him out of the door. </p><p>"Yeah, just keep writing those goddamn pills up for her so she can stay stoned and not know shit about what you twisted fucks are up to," He hisses and Gia's face burns red with embarrassment as she blatantly shoves him out of the door and slams it shut, keeping her head down as she scurries past the receptionist and out the door. </p><p>Jason follows her, his own mind swimming as he gets in the car and takes a breath, an awkward silence between the two of them. </p><p>"There wasn't any reason for you to act like that," she starts quietly and he huffs out a breath and cranks the car, not responding. "That was humiliating." She adds. </p><p>"Next time I'll sit there and be quiet and let them hand a death certificate to you for you to sign while they repeatedly hammer to us that they've done all they can when in reality they've done the bare minimum yet want gold  stars and accolades and big donations. Paying them to pass out pain pills is all Bruce is doing, clearly. We can go to any corner in Gotham and have you treated if that's all it fucking takes." He spits it out venomously. </p><p>"Can you please watch your language?" </p><p>"Fuck this." Jason doesn't even hear her question, too angry to hear anything but his blood simmering. </p><p>"What they were doing--the 'bare minimum,' you so eloquently put it--was working. But I wanted to get off of it and when I decided to try to get back on it, it was too late and wasn't helping anything." She reminds him and he honks his horn at a car that pulls out in front of them suddenly, making Gia close her eyes and try to go to a happy place as he shouts at the car to avoid acknowledging what she'd just said. </p><p>He didn't want to remember she wanted off the radiation and chemo in the first place.</p><p>He didn't want to place the blame on her. </p><p>He refused to. </p><p>He'd always refuse to blame her. </p><p>Even when she put him in a position he felt absolutely powerless in. </p><p>Glancing at her, seeing her eyes closed, he swallows thickly and keeps his eyes on the road.</p><p>Gia was tucked away, the memory of her mother humming to her, holding her tightly, keeping her at ease. </p><p>She can see her mother's face looking down at her, a memory she remembers from the age of five, "chasing" her mother up the stairs of their house, grabbing her leg and pulling her to the floor. </p><p>Her mother's laughter reverberates off the walls of the home as she gets in the hallway floor, Gia giggling and scooting up to be face to face with her, pushing her forehead to her's. </p><p>She just smiles and kisses Gia's forehead, wrapping her arms around her, tightly. </p><p>"My baby Gia," she says warmly, her voice cracking as tears come to her eyes. </p><p>But Gia can tell they're happy tears. </p><p>She then begins to sing "Jesus Loves Me," quietly, Gia singing along as best as she can.</p><p>"Gia," Jason pulls her out of her mind and she looks at him to see they're home. </p><p>"Sorry," she mumbles, getting out of the car. </p><p>Again, they're silent.  </p><p>When they get inside and greet Rambo, Gia's immediately going back to bed while Jason can't bring himself to sleep right now. Not after what was just disclosed to the two of them. </p><p>He hasn't been this upset, this defenseless since the Joker did him in and tried to kill her, too, but Bruce managed to get her to safety. But even then, Jason felt he had failed her. Even when his hands were tied--literally--and he couldn't have done much of anything to save her, he was angry that she was hurt on his watch. </p><p>That same feeling is very apparent as of right now as well. The feeling of utter abandonment. He hopes she doesn't think he abandoned her, back then or right now.</p><hr/><p><br/>Gia carefully puts hair-smoothing product in her wet hair, trying not to pull too hard to coax anymore strands out of her scalp than what she’s already lost in the shower, glancing down at the glass of vodka she poured for herself while Jason was distracted with feeding the dog.<br/>She rubs her lips together, eyes trailing from the drink to the mirror to look at her face, dark circles under her eyes, lips cracked and dried...her skin sallow and pale despite it’s brown color.<br/>“Shit, Gia,” She mumbles to herself, taking a sip of alcohol and wincing, her face scrunching up momentarily.<br/>She hasn’t drank straight vodka since Jason died.<br/>Getting makeup on to cover up how sickly she looks, she blow drys her hair and curls it, clumps of it ending up on the floor by the time she's finished. </p><p>She holds her nose and downs the rest of her drink, brushing her teeth afterwards to hopefully cover up the taste from Jason. </p><p>He's too busy trying to decide which tie to wear, letting out a frustrated breath as Gia comes out of the bathroom to get her dress on. </p><p>"You're dressing up?" She asks, noting his dilemma. "You never dress up for these things." She says next, smiling a little. </p><p>"Figured I'd look the part of the house-husband who's about to bathe in all the money his super hot, super smart, groundbreaking scientist wife rakes in from discovering a new way to kick cancer's ass." He tells her and she laughs as he holds up the two ties. </p><p>"Red or green?"</p><p>"It's not green, it's emerald, and it makes your eyes stand out--not that they already don't, but still." She tosses the red tie onto the bed as he lifts his collar and she loops the emerald colored fabric around his neck before staring at it in her hands…</p><p>"I don't know how to tie one of these," she says out loud. </p><p>"Yeah, I was about to ask when the hell you learned to tie a tie." He chuckles and she smiles, pressing a kiss to his cheek, then his jaw, her lips tickled with the prickling of his stubble he has yet to shave off, trailing to his neck, her fingers beginning to unbutton the tops buttons of his white shirt. </p><p>"We don't have time for this, Gia." He says to her lightly, knowing something's up because she hasn't made a move on him for over two months being that they can't be fully intimate without her being in pain due to the cancer that's spread--that and her sex drive has been shot down, understandably. </p><p>"We can make time," she hums, catching his lips with her's, their tongues lacing together. </p><p>He can taste that familiar finger nail polish remover taste, mixed with tooth paste. </p><p>"You been drinking?" He asks, knowingly, maintaining his soft grin, cupping the sides of her face to look at her. </p><p>"Just one drink." She tells him. </p><p>"Just one." He nods. "Which is gonna turn into two, which is gonna turn into--"</p><p>"--I really don't need your judgement right now, Jason." She pulls away.</p><p>"I'm not judging you, Gia, you just don't need to be drinking while you're on prescription pills." He tells her. </p><p>"Yeah," she agrees to shut him up, and he knows it, he just doesn't call her out on it. </p><p>"I gotta get dressed." She tells him next, and he doesn't reply, stepping to the living room to grab his suit jacket, deciding he'll just get Barbara to fix his tie when they get there. </p><p>"Don't forget your research." He calls, looking down at Rambo. "She's a little bit nuts, you know that?" He asks him quietly. "But she's good. You know she's good." He adds, patting the dog's head. </p><p>She steps out of their room, heels clicking on the floor, emerald colored satin stopping at the bottom of her thighs, her curled hair pulled over to one shoulder, file of research and paperwork an inch and a half thick and in hand. </p><p>Jason just smiles down at her and grabs her hand, kissing her knuckles. </p><p>"No fighting over the vodka?" She asks, raising a brow. </p><p>"Not tonight." He shakes his head, leaning down and kissing her chastely before the two bid goodbye to the Doberman and head off. </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. CHAPTER TWO</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <strong>CHAPTER TWO</strong>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <strong>14 YEARS AGO</strong>
</p><p>"Just try to play nice with everybody," Jim tells Gia, helping her out of his car. </p><p>"Kiss the ass of the spoiled kids, got it." She replies, scoffing. </p><p>"They're not all spoiled. Barbara wouldn't be friends with them if they were." He tells her. </p><p>"Barbara's judgment is fucked sideways." </p><p>"Talk like a lady, please, Gia." Jim sighs, holding his hand out. "And gum." He adds. </p><p>She spits her gum on the step of the mansion and rakes her heel across it, smearing bubble gum everywhere. </p><p>"Oops." She shrugs, stepping to the door. </p><p>Jim just rubs his forehead, shaking his head slightly. </p><p>Why couldn't his dad just keep it in his pants after he had him? </p><p>"Is there a bar?" Gia asks when they get inside. </p><p>"You're not old enough to drink." He tells her. </p><p>"I'm nineteen, Jim." </p><p>"Exactly--the drinking age is twenty-one. Thanks for proving my point." </p><p>"You're my brother, not my dad." </p><p>"I'm your legal guardian. You wanna argue some more?" </p><p>"Yeah, I do, actually. I'm a legal adult. I don't need a guardian."</p><p>"You're right...you know what? You can get a drink. You're a legal adult. Your responsible enough to get a drink." He says. </p><p>"Thanks." She doesn't give it a second thought, about to go look for the bar. </p><p>"...But be prepared to pay your own bail when I arrest you for underage consumption of alcohol." He says and she slowly turns to glare at him. "...You're an adult right? Adult crimes, adult consequences." He explains. </p><p>"Fine. I'll get virgin stuff." She bites back. "Are you gonna arrest me since I'm no longer one of those either or…?" </p><p>He squeezes his eyes closed and exhales. </p><p>"Gia," he says, opening his eyes, but she's gone. </p><p>"Can I get some water?" Gia asks the bartender at the open bar before glancing around at the room around her. </p><p>She figures it's a bunch of rich people--or people like her brother, working class that have some important stake or appreciation in what Wayne Enterprises is doing. </p><p>"Here you go," the bartender hands her her water. </p><p>"Thank you," she tells him. </p><p>Across the room, Jason Todd's examining the medal awarded to him earlier in the night by the mayor for the exemplary donation he took out of his own inheritance to give to foster families across Gotham. </p><p>He never thought he'd be awarded for exemplary behavior, ever, but he had a feeling it'd be the last time. </p><p>He looks toward the bar, wishing Bruce would get his foot off his neck and just let him have a celebratory drink so he wouldn't have to keep sneaking sips from his flask. </p><p>All thought is suddenly lost upon the site of an unfamiliar face. The most beautiful unfamiliar face he's ever seen. </p><p>She's drinking water and he suddenly feels the need to drink some, as well, his throat going dry and his feet moving her way before his mind can gather it's bearings completely. </p><p>He immediately puts his medal on display, holding his wrist up to show her arrogantly. </p><p>"Exemplary Behavior by Donation," he tells her, Gia raising her brows, looking at the medal. </p><p>"Jason Todd," he says next, dropping his wrist. </p><p>"Gia Gordon," She replies to him and he tenses up. </p><p>"...G-Gordon?...like...Jim Gordon?" </p><p>"Yeah, he's my brother." </p><p>"No shit." His voice cracks. </p><p>Great. Of course the one chick here around his age that isn't Barbara, is the sister of a cop. With a gun. And torture tactics. </p><p>"Why 'Todd', are you not Bruce's kid or something?" </p><p>"He took me under his wing, wouldn't necessarily call myself his kid." Jason informs her. </p><p>"But you have an inheritance from him?" </p><p>"...Yeah…" he says. "You can, too, if you flash puppy dog eyes and plead 'orphan'." </p><p>Gia can't help but blurt out in laughter, not expecting that answer. </p><p>"You got plans tonight?" He asks next, feeling a feat of confidence from being able to get her to laugh and she looks for Jim, unable to find him…</p><p>"Maybe, why?" </p><p>He looks for Jim and Bruce as well, not seeing Jim, and seeing Bruce and Dick talking to another rich man and his wife. </p><p>"...You wanna get outta here?" He asks next. </p><p>"Maybe, why?" She repeats, a little smile tugging at her lips, having a feeling he's up to no good. </p><p>It doesn't take but two minutes for the two of them to slip out of the small ballroom, Jason grabbing her hand and leading her, both scurrying up the stairs. </p><p>"Where we going?" She asks him, taking her heels off to walk on the freshly cleaned,  burgundy carpet under their feet, looking at the various windows leading down the hall once they reach the top of the stairs, paintings on the wall opposite of them. </p><p>"Somewhere," he avoids answering directly, not wanting her to think he's an asshole if he tells her where they're going. </p><p>"This place is huge." She says next. </p><p>"I got lost in here all the time when I first moved in." He admits. "I still get the fucking creeps when I walk around here at night. All the paintings."</p><p>"Who are these people?" She asks him, her eyes going back to the portraits of people. </p><p>"Hell if I know, probably some of his family or something." He shrugs. </p><p>"We should've grabbed a bottle of something when we snuck out." She says next. </p><p>"Here," he reaches in his suit pocket on his jacket and hands her a flask. </p><p>"You daddy know you have this?" Gia sarcastically raises a brow and Jason scoffs as she takes a sip and wrinkles her nose. </p><p>"The vodka was all I could get my hands on." He informs her, and her head already spins a little as her throat warms up. </p><p>"Ah," she nods, screwing the lid back on. </p><p>They get to the end of the hallway where there's multiple doors and Jason goes to his and opens it up slowly, stepping aside.</p><p>Gia doesn't think anything of it, walking in and dropping her heels on the floor. </p><p>Looking around the room, she immediately notices the amount of books, raising her brows and looking at him. </p><p>"What?" He asks. </p><p>"Thought Richard was the smart one." She tells him with a shrug. </p><p>"Please, Dick's the know it all. He likes to think he's the smart one. I'm not a complete dingbat, you know," He scoffs, watching as she thumbs through one of the packed shelves. </p><p>"I never said you were a dingbat." She argues. "You have a favorite?" She asks next and he steps over to her, reaching above her head and plucking one from the corner of the shelf, dusting it off, holding it up. "Are you serious?" She raises a brow.</p><p>"Bruce made me and Dick read it once upon a time and it kinda stuck with me. It's the only book I've been able to finish because I wasn't bored to death."  </p><p>"Why did he want you to read, 'The Art of War'?" She asks, curiously, grabbing the book and flipping through it. </p><p>"Um…" Jason tries to think fast, clearly not telling a chick he just met that he was Robbin and the only source of Patriarch in his life was Batman. "...He uses some of the tactics it teaches, in business, and wanted us to know it incase we had to take over one day." He bullshits it. </p><p>"Ahh," she nods, handing it back to him. </p><p>"And which one am I?" Jason asks suddenly, putting the book back up. </p><p>"What?" She looks confused, not knowing what he's talking about, and he leans against the bookcase, slipping his hands into his pockets. </p><p>"You said you thought Dick was the smart one," he shrugs, his deep blue eyes flicking to look into her dark browns and she raises a brow. </p><p>"You've always been the arrogant, cocky, pompous asshole one." She informs him. </p><p>He isn't phased, smirking down at her. </p><p>"You still think that?" </p><p>"Maybe," She crosses her arms. </p><p>"Do you have a definite answer for anything?" He asks slyly seeing she's been "maybe"ing a lot of things. </p><p>"Just for one thing, right now." She says softly. </p><p>"Yeah, what's that?" He leans in closer, practically reading her mind. </p><p>She's grabbing his tie, leading him down to her and he doesn't argue the slightest when she pulls his lips to hers. </p><p>It nearly knocks the breath out of him, her hand leaving his tie to thread through his black hair, his hands sliding to her waist. </p><p>They both smile when they catch their breath, pulling the pin from the grenade completely when she pushes his jacket off his shoulders, his fingers pulling at her dress as he guides them to the bed, sitting down when the back of his knees hit the mattress, his arms wrapping around her as her tongue pushes into his mouth, the two of them falling back on the bed. </p><p>Downstairs Jim's looking around for his sister, unable to see her, getting frustrated that she just left him without giving him a heads up. There's too many people for him to be comfortable with her being out of his site. Some of these rich bastards are sickos. </p><p>"Detective," Bruce says, tapping Jim on the shoulder and he turns around to greet the billionaire. </p><p>"Mr. Wayne," Jim greets him, extending his hand. "Thanks again for the invitation." </p><p>"Well, I'd figure I'd at least try to talk to her about the program." Bruce says, looking around. "You haven't told her anything about it, right?"</p><p>"No, no, I haven't. She thinks we're here for me." He tells him. "She's, uh, disappeared on me as of right now but I'm sure she'll show back up before too long." Jim explains to him, rubbing the back of his neck, praying Gia magically appears. </p><p>Bruce takes note being that Jason, too, has disappeared, and he doesn't want to mention it so he just smiles. </p><p>"I'm sure she went to the restroom or something," he suggests. "Dick's told me Barbara's got a new job at the library?" </p><p>"Yeah, yeah, she's really convinced she's found her thing." </p><p>"Good--I know these kids are under a lot of pressure to have everything figured out." </p><p>"You're telling me. Gia's already stomping her foot to get married and have kids. Keeps saying her biological clock is running out." Jim chuckles and Bruce raises his brows. </p><p>"She's only nineteen, she's got plenty of time. She needs to stay focused on what she's doing now."  </p><p>"That's what I keep telling her. She says it's different for us guys...that unmarried men turn into desirable bachelors while women turn into two simple questions: 'what's so  wrong with her that she can't make a man stay?' and  'why isn't she married by now?'" Jim informs him. </p><p>"I stay on Jason and Dick about getting distracted--they need to get themselves together before worrying about bringing anyone else into it." He nods. </p><p>"I'm more worried about who exactly she'd bring into it." Jim admits. "Last few guys she's brought home…" he trails off, wincing. "That bad?" </p><p>"One of them was an inmate that'd busted out of Back Gate." Jim recalls and Bruce closes his eyes for a moment, feeling bad for the detective, genuinely. "He ate dinner with us and the whole time I'm sitting across from this man, racking my brain about where I'd seen him before. Turned out I knew him as well as nearly every criminal in this town--he drove getaway cars." </p><p>"I hope her science skills are better than her judgement." Bruce voices, taking a drink from the tray of champagne going around. </p><p>"She's really smart, she really is, she has good intentions...she's just that desperate to get out from under me. And I get it, it's probably like having another dad to boss her around since our age gap is so big." Jim gives her the benefit of the doubt. </p><p>"Don't feel too bad, Jason and I have been going back and forth over a few things lately. All teenagers do it, I guess. They're just hungry and chomping at the bit. As long as we keep them off the streets and outta prison, we're doing our jobs good enough." Bruce says next and Jim looks at him. </p><p>"Agreed." </p><p>Meanwhile, Jason and Gia are laying in his bed, expensive sheets tassled around the bed, her face on his chest, his fingers twirling a piece of her hair around them as her nails gently smooth over the skin of his pectoral. </p><p>"Like father like son, I guess," she voices, smiling to herself. </p><p>"I don't get laid nearly as much as him," Jason scoffs back and she giggles as he runs his fingers over her bare shoulder. "What about you?" He asks. </p><p>"I usually don't sleep with people I barely know." She assures him. </p><p>"What was so different this time?" He questions. </p><p>"...A big ass inheritance." She tells him. </p><p>"Ohhh, the truth comes out, I see." He lets out, knowing she's bullshitting him, her grin widens and she turns on her stomach and looks at him, her chin resting on the back of her hand. </p><p>"Is this the part where you lose interest at the speed of light now that we've already gotten what we wanted outta each other?" She questions him and he gives her a genuine smile, his hand gently brushing curls out of her face. </p><p>"You think I'm that kinda guy or something?" He asks her, raising his brows just a little. </p><p>"Like father like son, right?" She repeats from earlier and he shakes his head slowly, his thumb running over her lips. </p><p>"Wouldn't necessarily call myself his kid," he reminds her and she leans forward when he gently grabs her chin and pulls her to him, their lips meeting one again just as the door opens. </p><p>Jason sits up, Gia tucking behind him, the two of them caught red handed. </p><p>Alfred just looks at the ground, brows raised, clearing his throat. </p><p>"Master Jason, you're needed downstairs." He tells the young man, finally looking up again, eyeing Gia as she pulls the sheets nearly up to her chin to cover up. </p><p>"I'll be down there in a second," he assures him.</p><p>"Very well," Alfred nods to Gia and addresses her as, "Miss Gordon," before turning to leave. </p><p>"Shit," Jason grumbles, Gia getting up to go grab her dress from the floor. </p><p>Alfred returns downstairs, informing Bruce, "He'll be here momentarily, Master Wayne," </p><p>"Where was he at?" Bruce asks, curiously. </p><p>"Making a new friend." Alfred informs him. </p><p>"Oh," Bruce shrugs it off. </p><p>He's soon seeing Jason and Gia looking around, probably trying to find him and Jim...her dress is inside out. </p><p>"Oh," Bruce repeats in a more serious tone, resisting the urge to lean his head back and grown. </p><p>"I said making a new friend, I didn't say at what extent the new friend was being made." Alfred mumbles when Bruce glares at him for not giving him a heads up. </p><p>Jim notices Gia and Jason and make a beeline for Bruce, he and the two teens making it to Bruce at the same time. </p><p>"There they are," Jim sighs out with relief upon the arrival of his sister, "Gia, I want you to meet Mr. Bruce Wayne, Bruce, this is Gia." </p><p>Bruce smiles warmly at her, holding his hand out and she takes it as he says, "it's nice to meet you, Gia, I've heard incredible things about you." </p><p>"You, too, Mr. Wayne." She replies politely. </p><p>"Your brother's been telling me you're currently studying Biochemistry." </p><p>"Y-yes," she confirms, looking at Jim. </p><p>"Within the top five of her class," Jim can't help but to add. </p><p>"That doesn't surprise me, I've got a couple friends out there at Gotham University that have expressed a faith and trust in you and a few classmates of your's, and your ideas for the future of medicine, and I really think you'd be a good fit for Wayne Biotech, if you're interested." He offers and her jaw nearly hits the floor. </p><p>"W-What?"</p><p>"I know you've only been in school for a couple years and have two more to go but our internships count as class credits since you'll be working hands on with Biotechnicians that have been trained to teach you the curriculum that the state requires." He adds. "Not to mention when you graduate, you'll have a guaranteed job with us...again, this is only if you're interested." </p><p>
  <strong>PRESENT</strong>
</p><p>Gia's palms sweat as Jason pinpoints Barbara, his hand holding tight to Gia's as the two of them make their way to the woman in the wheel chair. </p><p>"Hey, Babs," Jason starts and she looks at him. </p><p>"You're an hour late." Is the first thing she tells him. </p><p>"We hit bad traffic, can you tie this?" He cuts to the chase and looks at him as if asking, "really?" </p><p>"I don't remember how to tie a tie. Gia's normal and didn't have to know how to tie a tie." He explains. </p><p>She cracks the slightest smile and reaches for his tie. </p><p>"Thank you." He says, clearing his throat. "Where's Bruce?" He asks next. </p><p>She doesn't have to reply before he's seeing him across the room. "Found him." He states. "C'mon, babe," he tugs Gia along and she just gives a small "hey," to Barbara in passing, the redhead noticing how skinny she's gotten since the last time she saw her...her shoulder blades are sticking out, looking as though the skin is stretching thin to cover the bones. </p><p>Bruce sees them coming, taken back by how much worse Gia looks than when he last saw her a little over a month ago…</p><p>His eyes go to a thick folder in her hand, his brows furrowing slightly, quickly averting his gaze and greeting them when they get to him. </p><p>"Hey, you got a minute?" Jason asks him with no warning and Gia feels what's left of the color in her face, drain, not expecting to hop right into it. </p><p>"Hey, Gia," Bruce ignores Jason for a moment and acknowledges her and she peeks out from behind Jason. </p><p>"Hey, Bruce." She replies.</p><p>"You didn't answer my question," Jason says sternly and Bruce stares him down.  </p><p>"It depends." He tells him. </p><p>"It's for her, not me." </p><p>"Then, yes, I do have a minute." Bruce sighs, looking at Gia. "What's going on?" </p><p>"It's gonna take a little while so can we go somewhere more private?" Jason cuts Gia off before she can reply. </p><p>"Can she not speak for herself?" Bruce asks smartly. </p><p>"Can we please go somewhere more quiet?" Gia asks and again, the two men stare each other down for a moment. </p><p>She's expecting them to pull their dicks out to measure any moment, of course Jason's like that with nearly everybody. </p><p>Bruce just glares at Jason for a moment before looking at Gia again. </p><p>They end up in the hotel's parlor, sitting at opposite sides of a glass coffee table.</p><p>"So," Gia clears her throat, her stomach knotting up with anxiousness, "I've been looking into a possible cure for cancer," she informs him and he raises a brow, his interest piqued. "And I've found it." She confidently says and he blinks at her. </p><p>"What is it?" He asks, curious, but not getting his hopes up. </p><p>"Snake venom." She replies and he lets out a breath because he's heard this before, but it didn't work, "Well, in general, snake venom--but different venoms treat different forms of cancer." She adds, flipping through her folder, handing it to him and he looks down at it, scribbled in her writing, diagrams of anatomy and different proteins listed beside circled spots that represent cancer, along with different breeds of venomous snakes like Copperhead, and Indian Spectacled Cobra, among others. </p><p>"And I've narrowed it down that the venom of Inland Taipans are most effective against Cervical cancer." She says next. </p><p>"Have you tested that, or are you just using critical thinking?" He asks. </p><p>"Well, that's what I was going to talk to you about." She raises her brows. "I haven't tested it on mice because I'm wanting to test it on myself first, and then--"</p><p>"--No." Bruce cuts her short, hearing enough. </p><p>Gia just feels her heart cinch in on itself. </p><p>"What?" </p><p>"If you won't test it on mice, how in the hell do you expect to know what you're doing and what works and what doesn't work?" He asks as Jason keeps his mouth shut, looking at the floor, Gia struggling to find the words to say. </p><p>"Cancer studies on mice are seen as no longer accurate." </p><p>"Then how do they know those venoms work on cancer? How are you so certain it'll kill cervical cancer?" </p><p>"Getting a sample of the cancer and seeing how it reacts in contact with the venom." She says, shakily. "I know it's a risk but it's been proven to kill cancer cells."</p><p>"As well as perfectly healthy cells." Bruce scoffs out, closing her folder, not wanting to waste his time looking at it any longer. </p><p>"Not if it's engineered properly." She argues. </p><p>"Have you bothered to engineer it properly and tested it with healthy cells?" </p><p>"Yes, I have." </p><p>"And the end result?" </p><p>She stays quiet, forcing herself not to cry...not wanting to necessarily tell him the end result...Jason breathing out. </p><p>"That's what I thought." Bruce nods. "You're not doing this to yourself, it's unethical, and illegal and I'll be damned if you endanger yourself or others on any of my labs' watch."</p><p>Gia looks to Jason to stick up for her, to tell Bruce to go fuck himself, to back up her hard work and dedication she's put into this. </p><p>He just looks at her, though, and she can tell he's taking Bruce's side. </p><p>"Back to the drawing board, I guess." She lets out, grabbing her work. "If I even make it there." She adds in a vicious snap, words dripped in resentment and anger as she leaves and slams the door behind her, cutting through guests to get outside. </p><p>Bruce breathes as calmly as he can, not knowing what else to say as Jason stands up, licking his lips, able to see both sides of the situation and agreeing with Bruce. </p><p>"It's spreading to her ribs and lungs, now," Jason says, lowly, and Bruce huffs out a breath. "She's only got about three months left." He says after a moment and Bruce nods slowly. </p><p>"I understand that, Jason," He looks at him, sincerity in his eyes. "But I'm not running a free-for-all." </p><p>
  <strong>14 YEARS AGO</strong>
</p><p>Jason stares at the piece of paper with Gia's number on it, dopey smile on his face...he can still smell her perfume on his bed sheets, a smear of lipstick at the foot of the bed as evidence of their time well spent. </p><p>A knock on the door has him sitting back up, tucking the paper into his pocket, and saying, "come in!" </p><p>Bruce hears his invitation from the other side of the door and opens it slowly, seeing Jason content. </p><p>"What's up?" Jason asks, a little confused, as Bruce steps in. </p><p>"Everybody's gone, I decided I'd come up here and check on you before we go out." He explains. </p><p>"Oh, I'm good." Jason shrugs. </p><p>"Did you, um...have fun tonight?" He asks next and Jason raises his brows. "With Gia?" </p><p>"Oh, yeah. She's cool, I guess." Jason plays it off when in reality his whole body is lit up like a spark plug. </p><p>"Yeah, she is...she's really smart, too…bright future ahead of her…" Bruce agrees, sitting on the foot of the bed beside him. </p><p>"We used rubbers if that's what you're getting at." Jason blatantly says it. </p><p>"Okay, then." Bruce nods, raising his brows at Jason's brazenness, another thought coming to mind. "She didn't happen to mention anything about a biological clock, did she?" </p><p>Jason raises a brow and looks at him. </p><p>"No?"  He says honestly and Bruce wants to sigh with relief. </p><p>Meanwhile, stopped by the department on the way home, Gia waits patiently for Jim to finish locking up his office, looking over the paperwork and forms Bruce gave her before they left. </p><p>"Better not lose any of that," he tells her, nodding to the papers. </p><p>"You can just rub elbows with Bruce again to get me some more." She replies. </p><p>"I didn't have to rub elbows with him the first time." He states, looking at her pointedly. "He saw what the rest of us see and decided you were good at what you've been doing." </p><p>"I'm sure." She mumbles, crossing her arms, waiting as he shuts the door and locks it with his key. </p><p>"Besides, if you do happen to lose them you can just get Jason to grab you some more." He says next. "Except when you do, make sure you put your clothes back on right side out." He adds and her face burns red with, looking down and seeing the inside seems of her dress are outside. </p><p>
  <strong>PRESENT</strong>
</p><p>Gia stays quiet the whole ride home, slamming the car door as hard as she can, making Jason cringe. </p><p>"Can you not slam my car door? Please?" He asks as he gets out, and she doesn't answer. </p><p>When they get up to the apartment, she's using the spare key to get inside, again, slamming the door -- except this time, it's in his face. </p><p>He takes a deep breath, unlocking the door, again, and stepping inside to hear her throwing things in their room. </p><p>"Gia," He steps past Rambo, who's curiously listening to the racket, as Jason opens the door. "Gia, what are you doing?" </p><p>She's messily tossing things on the bed, and he leans against the door frame. </p><p>"I'm staying with my brother tonight." She tells him, sniffling, and he raises his brows. </p><p>"Why?"</p><p>"Because he would've fucking said something, Jason, that's why! He would've stuck up for me or at least would've tried to!" She barks, tears quickly darting down her cheeks and she's fast to wipe them away, bitterness boiling inside of her, spilling out years of resentment.</p><p>"What the hell did you want me to say, Gia?! Huh?! You're fucking talking about poisoning yourself with no scientific proof that what you're wanting to test out, specifically, is safe!" </p><p>"I'm dying anyway! Why isn't anybody considering that?! I'm dying! If it ends up killing me then at least I can say I did what I could to try to make an effort to save my life!"</p><p>"Did what you could?!" Jason laughs like a madman, raking his hands through his hair. "Sticking with Chemo is doing what you could! Sticking with r adiation is doing what you could! Putting the fucking alcohol and cigarettes down the first time you were told it was accelerating the cancer growth, would have been doing what you could! But what did you do?! Decide you were God or something and didn't need to listen to advice because you could fix it your way! And now your crying and boohooing and pissy because I didn't back you up when you were proposing practical suicide dressed up as treatment! You're not a fucking martyr, Gia, take some responsibility!" </p><p>She stares at him, numb on Oxy and anger, not even thinking rationally before saying, "I wish you would have stayed dead." </p><p>This does it. </p><p>Jason takes a step back, realizing he's not winning this fight. He doesn't want to, if that's how she's playing, anyway. </p><p>He just gives her a look before turning around, grabbing his keys, and leaving her to wallow in self-pity. </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. CHAPTER THREE</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em> <strong>CHAPTER THREE</strong> </em>
</p><p>
  <strong>2 WEEKS LATER </strong>
</p><p>Alfred furrows his brows as he steps out of the house, fog from the lake drifting out over the yard a little bit. </p><p>He gets to Jason, who's face down in the grass, and exhales, nudging him with his foot, realizing he's not waking up. </p><p>He reeks of booze. </p><p>"Surely he's got to be a Wayne somewhere down the line." He mumbles to himself, going inside to grab something. </p><p>Once he gets it, he goes back outside and holds the airhorn maybe a foot above his face before blaring it. </p><p>Jason's groaning awake, Alfred still blowing the horn, even when he's sitting up, glaring up at the butler. </p><p>He ends up taking the airhorn from him to get him to stop. </p><p>"Rise and shine, master Jason." Alfred says, turning to walk back inside. </p><p>"You're just mean sometimes," Bruce tells Alfred, pouring his coffee as he comes in. </p><p>"If I wanted a garden gnome for the yard, I'd buy one." Alfred replies as they hear the door open, Jason trudging into the kitchen. </p><p>"Late night?" Bruce asks, taking a sip of coffee. </p><p>"Not at all." He replies gruffly, taking the whole pot of coffee once Alfred gets a cup of it. "I'm getting a shower and then getting the fuck outta here." </p><p>"Lovely language for seven a.m. on a Tuesday morning." Bruce sarcastically states. </p><p>"Yeah, tell my ass that while you kiss it." Jason shoots back as he walks out. </p><p>Once he's finished in the shower, he's finishing his coffee - all of it - and getting his keys. </p><p>Not bothering with saying goodbye before walking to his car down the road, he's soon heading back to his apartment, expecting Gia to be gone like she has been the last two weeks since she works days and he's gone at night. </p><p>Instead, he comes inside and Rambo doesn't greet him like usual. </p><p>"Bud, what's up?" He asks, stepping to their bedroom where Rambo's bed is, stopping in his tracks when he sees Gia in bed, surrounded by tissues and allergy medication, the dog resting his chin over her stomach, blinking up sadly at him. </p><p>Jason carefully steps to her, patting the dog's head, quickly checking Gia's pulse on her neck. </p><p>She takes a deep breath and Jason silently feels a weight come off of him, feeling her pulse as well. </p><p>She's just got a cold. </p><p>"Don't scare me like that again." Jason mouths to Rambo. "Nearly gave me a heart attack." He adds. </p><p>Which he guesses he has a reason to look so sad. He knows the dog can tell she's dying. He's been with her for nine years, now, before Jason had even come back into the picture, and he's already to the point where he won't have much more time with them. If she dies, Jason has a feeling the heartbreak might just do badass Rambo in. </p><p>He doesn't want to think about it so he just takes his jacket off and heads to the living room, leaving her to sleep. </p><p>When Gia wakes up, she hears the TV on in the living room and pulls herself out of bed to go to the kitchen for some water. </p><p>She sees Jason sitting on the couch and passes by as fast as possible. </p><p>They haven't spoken since she told him she wished he'd stayed dead. </p><p>Of course she didn't mean that, she just wanted to hurt him as much as he'd hurt her, and they both knew that, but they were both avoiding each other because it was still too far.</p><p>His mere presence is enough to motivate her to tough it out as best she can to get dressed and get the hell out of the apartment.</p><hr/><p>"Jim, you got a visitor," Montoya says as Jim steps through the precinct, and he rubs his forehead, dropping a fulfilled bond release form on the desk of one of their bondsmen. </p><p>"I usually hear that and end up ducking from open fire." He retaliates. </p><p>"They frisked me on the way in," Gia says sarcastically and James' mouth pulls into a small smile, stepping to her. </p><p>"You're supposed to be resting," he states as she hugs him, his hand giving her a stern pat on the back as he squeezes her to him for a second before pulling away. </p><p>"I can rest here." She shrugs, wrinkling her nose as an incoming offender makes kissing noises at her as he's pushed by in cuffs. </p><p>"You can also go home. To your bed. And your boyfriend. And your dog." He replies, guiding her to his office. </p><p>"Not really a boyfriend anymore. More like a roommate being that we no longer communicate -- or even want to communicate at that." She explains. </p><p>"Been together for fourteen years, Gia, don't let a petty disagreement--" </p><p>"—He told me it's my fault my cancer isn't better and I told him I wish he would've stayed dead." She explains and Jim looks at her. </p><p>"Jesus." He says.</p><p>"Yeah, we really know how to feel the love." She nods. </p><p>"Could be worse. He could be throwing you outta windows, moving cars, into vats of chemicals…" he mumbles. </p><p>"Wish he would. At least then I could finally die and not have the fact that I am actually dying looming over me." She admits. </p><p>"Gia, my point was it could be worse. I don't agree with him, I don't agree with you, but I think you should talk about it. You're not necessarily ample on time and you two need all the happy you can have between now and when your time comes." </p><p>"Things haven't been the same since I was diagnosed, Jim, you know that." </p><p>"Well, it's not just you that's having to process the thought of a world without you in it, baby sister." He points out. "Considering how many times some people have tried to make that happen, it's kinda a low blow that cancer is the thing that's seemingly taking you out." He adds and she rubs her lips together. </p><p>"I'm not out yet." She assures him. </p><p>"Oh, yeah?" </p><p>"Yeah." She nods. </p><p>"You better not be." He raises his brows. </p><p>"I've almost got it, you know?" </p><p>"Got what?" </p><p>"My cure." She informs him. </p><p>"Oh, using the, uh—" he snaps his fingers, trying to remember what she'd told him. </p><p>"—Snake venom."</p><p>"Yeah, that." He points, nodding. </p><p>"Yeah, I'm just waiting for Wayne Chemicals to get their heads out of their asses. Earlier this week I sent back my last sample. If they can't get it altered right, I'm looking elsewhere." </p><p>"Elsewhere for a cure, or elsewhere for someone to try to get it right?" He asks. </p><p>"I know this is the answer. I just need the right person to solve the problem." She says it matter-of-fact. </p><p>Before he can further question her, his phone's ringing. </p><p>"Hello?" He answers, and Gia hears someone talking quickly over the phone. "Barbara, there should be some chicken left over in the—" he goes quiet for a moment. "Alright, I'll run by on my lunch break and grab some more from the store." He says next. "Okay, see you then, love you." He hangs up and looks at his sister. "I gotta go."  he states, looking at the clock. "Go home." He tells her. "You sound terrible." He adds, not even wanting to mention how she looks. </p><p>"Aye aye, captain." She gives a salute. "Later." She says, going to the door of his office. </p><p>"This little piggy went to market, this little piggy stayed home, this little piggy had roast beef, this little piggy had none, and this little piggy—" </p><p>The colorful mosaic that is Harley Quinn is spewing smart assed comments as she's being booked, stopping abruptly when she sees Gia, the two making eye contact as she passes by, the exchange happening so fast yet so slow. </p><p>The last time Gia saw her this up close and personal was when Wayne Manor was going up in flames, and Gia was supposed to go with it.</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>ONE WEEK AGO</strong>
</p><p>Gia curses under her breath upon watching healthy cells be disintegrated by yet another strain of venom she could have sworn was altered nearly perfectly.  </p><p> </p><p>Apparently not.  </p><p> </p><p>"What's it doing now?" The chemical engineer that brought back the sample of venom she sent out to Wayne Chemicals to purify, asks.  </p><p> </p><p>"Killing the cells as if it hasn't been messed with at all." She replies flatly, sighing out, pulling away from the microscope.  </p><p> </p><p>"We told you we thought we had struck gold." He says, so sure of himself.  </p><p> </p><p>"If this is you guys' version of 'gold,' I hate to see what your pure gutter trash is." She doesn't hold back, frustrated, and he lets out a breath.  </p><p> </p><p>"Well, in all honesty you didn't give us much wiggle room by sending in a sample that's deadly enough that one drop can kill 100 grown men - literally."  </p><p> </p><p>"The more aggressive the disease, the more aggressive the treatment needs to be. You know that." She switches the microscope off and he crosses his arms.  </p><p> </p><p>"So, what, you're just gonna go down the line and see what works?" He asks next, nodding to the glass aquariums each containing a different snake.  </p><p> </p><p>"I already have." She replies.  </p><p> </p><p>"Well, I guess this is your dead end, then." He says next and she looks at him pointedly, shaking her head a little.  </p><p> </p><p>"No, it's not," she steps to the container holding her last resort that she's holding on to with a steel grip, taking the lid off and gently, slowly, picking the snake up, making her counterpart take a step back and feel his nerves wind up as she casually talks to the damn thing, running her finger along her head.  </p><p> </p><p>She grabs a specimen cup for venom, grabbing her by her head, the snake hooking her teeth over the cup, venom dripping down the inside of the cup, once she's got enough, she's pulling her away from it and putting her back in her glass enclosure.  </p><p> </p><p>"I highly suggest you bring this back the right way," she tells him, putting a lid on the cup and labeling it, handing it out to him.  </p><p> </p><p>"What's that supposed to mean?" He gets defensive.  </p><p> </p><p>"It means you get me a sample from her that I can use or I'll find someone else to cure this with." She says to him and he breathes out sharply.</p><p>
  <strong>PRESENT</strong>
</p><p>Gia wants to bang her head against a wall as she watches yet another cellular massacre, squeezing her eyes closed, frustrated and tired—exhausted—of seeing the same result over and over again. </p><p>In her overtired, cancer and sinus infection sick, and defeated state, she finds herself needing a release and looks no further than screaming at the top of her lungs and throwing the microscope across the room, the electrical outlet sparking with the ferocity of the metal prongs of the microscope's electrical cord suddenly being snatched from the wall. </p><p>It hits the wall with a loud bang, glass from the lenses and slate shattering. </p><p>She's glad she's been left alone, probably because Wayne Chemicals knew damn well they didn't pull it off like they swore they'd be able to do.</p><p>Lifting her head after a few moments of trying to stop her tears and taking deep breaths, her attention is caught by the eery glow of that sign off in the distance labeled "ACE CHEMICALS." </p><p>Her mind's slipping back several years, remembering something she now realizes she might not have needed to write off with disregard. </p><p>"Like flies to honey," Renee mumbles to Gia, Harley hissing at her as she's shoved into the back of a patrol car. "You might wanna look into relocation." She adds, and Gia furrows her brows. </p><p>"Why would I do that?"</p><p>"This is the third time an attempt has been made on your life by Mister and Misses Chuckles in the last year." She explains. "That means you got six lives left."</p><p>"Gia, c'mon, I'll take you home." Jim says with raised brows, finishing up a conversation with a witness. </p><p>"Think about it, Gia." Montoya says next as she steps to Jim's car. "I gotta feeling you don't have much time left with the way they're coming after you." </p><p>"I'll take my chances." Gia boldly states, glaring at Harley as the clown cuts her vivid blue eyes at her before she's getting and shutting the door, her brother joining her as he sighs out, tiredly. </p><p>"I've told you not to walk around at night down here." He mumbles and she rolls her eyes. </p><p>"I was looking for something." She states. </p><p>"More pills?" He asks next. </p><p>"I'm not on drugs, James." Gia nearly barks it and he's quiet for several minutes, not speaking another word until they near her apartment building.</p><p>"I don't want you out here, anywhere, at night, Gia." He honestly confesses. "I don't want…" he nearly tears up thinking about what happened the last time they were called to a scene she'd been hurt at. Badly hurt. "...I wouldn't be able to live with myself if something like that were to happen to you, again—or worse." </p><p>"There's nothing worse that could happen than that. Not even Jason getting murdered in front of me." She mumbles. </p><p>"Just don't be out here after dark." He pleads.</p><p>"Why the chemical plant?" She asks him suddenly and he's thrown off by it, slightly. "Why were they there?" </p><p>"Why were you there?" </p><p>"I was walking by, across the street, and they were leaving." She says next. </p><p>"We've never been able to get a straight answer from either of them, but we figure their looks are attributed to being exposed to one of the chemical vats in ACE." He explains. "Rumor is he worked there before he became…you know…but it's just a rumor, we don't know anything for sure. Quite frankly I've never cared where he came from, just where he's going." </p><p>"I suppose," she says quietly, furrowing her brows as they stop in front of her building.</p><p>"Want me to walk you up?" </p><p>"No, no I got it." She assures him. </p><p>"Take it easy." He tells her next. "Get some sleep." He adds. </p><p>"Same goes for you." She replies, opening the door and getting out. </p><p>Gia pulls herself from the memory, her eyes focusing back on the chemical plant after blurring momentarily. </p><p>"Gia, don't think about it." She tells herself, like an order…but that doesn't stop her from thinking about it. </p><hr/><p>Jason's got his entire artillery piled on the bed as he makes sure his weapons are locked and loaded, hearing the door of the apartment open and close quietly, Gia's footsteps coming closer to their room. </p><p>The door opens and she walks in, not saying a word to him, just looking at the guns and knives and grenades on the bed. </p><p>"Big night tonight?" She asks him, the first words she's said to him since their fight. </p><p>"Kinda." He mumbles back.</p><p>She rubs her lips together and takes her jacket off as he finishes up and peels his shirt off to change his into his gear. </p><p>"I have a random question," she says next, clearing her throat, and he looks at her. </p><p>"Did you and Bruce ever do any digging into why The Joker has a niche for ACE Chemicals?" </p><p>Jason furrows his brows. </p><p>"I've heard he used to work there or something before he became who he is, now, but I never knew for sure." </p><p>"He might have, I don't know. It wouldn't surprise me if he did being he knows his way around chemicals." He adds. </p><p>Of course. Gia had nearly forgotten about his use of alternated nitrous oxide. </p><p>She assumes he's the one who finangles it.</p><p>"Why do you ask?" He asks her. </p><p>"I saw Harley at the G.C.P.D. today and just thought about it, is all." </p><p>Jason knows her better than that, but he can't think of why she'd lie to him about it, so he doesn't press her for any more answers. </p><p>He pulls his suit on, Gia staring at the blood red batman symbol across his chest. </p><p>"I do wish you would've stayed dead," she breaks the silence, and he raises a brow at her. "So we wouldn't be apart when I go." She explains further, and he exhales, not wanting to think about it. </p><p>But he knows he has to start thinking about it to prepare him for living in a world without her in it. </p><p>"I know you didn't mean it." He assures her. "I'm more pissed that it's taken you two weeks to admit you fucked up."</p><p>"When have you ever known me to admit I've fucked up?" She asks him, honestly. </p><p>This is true. Gia's as prideful as they come. Even more so than him, which says a lot. </p><p>"I'll admit it now, though." She says calmly. "I shouldn't have said that to you. And I'm sorry." </p><p>Jason believes her because he knows she's being serious and not just trying to bail herself out of the dog house. </p><p>"I'm sorry about what I said, too." He replies. "I'm sorry for avoiding you the past couple weeks, too." He adds. </p><p>"I am, too." She nods.</p><p>She wants to further apologize for what she's conspiring, but knows she can't tell him about it. </p><p>He'd lose his mind.</p><p>But so is she, knowing she's wasting away and her time is coming quickly. </p><p>She's in fight or flight mode, and for once in her life, of all the times she's faced danger, she's sticking with "fight." </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. CHAPTER FOUR</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Jason pushes the window back open, getting his helmet off, peeling his mask from around his eyes, looking forward to seeing Gia in bed, but he turns around and is met with a gruesome scene. </p><p>Black fluid is spread across the bed sheets, and he's pulling his gun out, glancing around quietly, taking light steps around the bed to the door. </p><p>He realizes it's blood. </p><p>There's blotches of it at random, splattered in the carpet in almost a trail that he follows from their room to the bathroom, peeking inside to see Gia laying down by the toilet, eyes glossed over as if she's in shock, her body shaking slightly. </p><p>Seeing her mouth and clothes covered in the mess that's on their bed and floor, he drops the gun and goes to her, Rambo laying by her side, whimpering. </p><p>Her eyes stiffly move to him, a sound emitting from her throat. </p><p>"Gia," Jason steps over her legs, crouching by her and she tries to speak to him, but can't find the energy to for a moment. "Hey, hey," he pushes her hair from her face.</p><p>"I...I got…" she lets out a weak groan. "Sick."</p><p>"You got sick?" </p><p>"Mmhmm," she shakily lets out with a nod. "I'm sorry," she says next. </p><p>"No, no, you're good, baby, you're fine," he assures her, trying to keep his voice steady. "We need to get you to the hospital." He says next and she tries to nod. "Alright," he puts his arms under her and picks her up, wincing when he hears her let out a God awful groan, gasping for breath when a shooting pain shoots through her abdomen. "I'm sorry," he apologizes.</p><p>He moves to the door, the dog at his heels and when he tries to close the door of their apartment, Rambo's growling. </p><p>"We'll be right back," Jason assures him before biting the bullet and getting the door closed. </p>
<hr/><p>"It's metastasized to her stomach," The doctor says to Jason, quietly in the hall of the emergency room, right outside the little room they've put Gia in, "it usually doesn't spread to the stomach but this is just what stage four cervical cancer does in some women." He adds. </p><p>"Does this change...her doctor told us she'd have up to six more months, that was a few weeks ago so—"</p><p>"When we had her in the MRI, it lit up like a Christmas tree." He states, his tone telling Jason everything he needed to know. The cancer's growing. "I'm sorry, I really am. I don't know what else to do other than tell you to start preparing yourself, and really focus on her quality of life—to make this as comfortable for her as any of us can." </p><p>Jason wants to ask him how exactly one makes someone else's death as comfortable for them as possible. </p><p>Instead, he doesn't argue and once the doctor pats him on the shoulder and heads down the hall to check on another patient, Jason finds himself struggling to go back in the room, not wanting her to see him about to have a come apart. </p><p>Gia lays in the hospital bed, her heavy eyes blinking open, met with the sound of the heart monitor, feeling the uncomfortable pinch of an IV taped to her hand. </p><p>Her stomach is sore from heaving vomit, and her throat is raw. </p><p>She takes a breath when she hears the door open and sees Jason, smiling as best as she can. </p><p>"Hey," He says, happy to see her awake, stepping to her. </p><p>"Hey," she croaks out as he kisses her forehead, his hands smoothing through her hair. "Don't pull any of it." She reminds him. </p><p>"It's been long enough since you stopped chemo, I don't think you have to worry about your hair falling out anymore." He says, but is gentle nonetheless. </p><p>"It's still falling out." She states and he furrows his brows. </p><p>He hasn't noticed any falling out in a long time, but still, he doesn't argue. </p><p>"I'm sorry for getting bloody throw up all over the apartment." She tells him softly. </p><p>"Don't be sorry over that, you couldn't help it." He states. "Scared the shit outta me when I came in, but…" </p><p>This makes her laugh a little bit. </p><p>"I love you, Gia." He says next, his thumb rubbing over her forehead. </p><p>"I love you more." She replies, tears coming to her eyes. "And I don't want to leave you." She says next. </p><p>"You're not leaving me," he promises her, keeping his smile in hopes it'll keep her from freaking out, "I know you're not leaving me." He adds. </p><p>"I feel like I am." She says, and he wipes a tear that streaks down her cheek. </p><p>"You're not." He repeats. "When you were first diagnosed with this shit, and I was losing my mind over it, you know what you told me?" </p><p>"I have a purpose." </p><p>"'I have a purpose. Everybody's got a purpose, sometimes their purpose is carried out in a place that isn't here'." He recalls to her. </p><p>"...And you asked me if I'd joined a church or something." She adds, chuckling. </p><p>"You told me if you happened to not make it, I didn't need to be beside myself with grief. I needed to be at peace because you'd be living out the plan that was given to you." He says next. "I don't think of this as you leaving me, Gia. Because I know you won't." </p><p>"I do." She admits, her voice cracking. "I'm not ready to die, Jason, there's too much I'm supposed to do here—I know there is." </p><p>Jason tries to soothe her, his palm resting over her forehead. </p><p>"I-I think I've found a way to stabilize venom enough that it won't kill healthy cells." She tries to tell him, but doesn't want to necessarily tell him her 'way' is really a person she thinks can do it. </p><p>"You have?" He asks and she nods. </p><p>"I think—"</p><p>She stops when the knock at the door interrupts the two of them, Jason saying, "Yeah," to whoever's wanting to come in. </p><p>Jim comes in, his glasses still dotted with drops of rain, and her heart sinks. </p><p>Her courage to confide in Jason about her idea is now fleeted, and probably never coming back. </p><p>She couldn't possibly let her brother know her plan. </p><p>He'd have her spend the rest of her life—however short—in the asylum. </p><p>"The hell happened?" Jim asks his sister, her sickly appearance throwing a rock in what is his metaphorical glass window. </p><p>He wasn't expecting her to look like this. </p><p>Jason had called and told him she had gotten sick to her stomach. </p><p>He didn't specify how sick. </p><p>"I threw up some." Gia tells him, not wanting to mention the blood and the fact it's spread to her stomach. "I'm okay, though." She assures him. "They said I can go home in the morning as long as I'm stable." She says next. </p><p>"I think you should look into hospice, you know," he suggests, raising his brows, "they showed you a good program a few weeks ago—"</p><p>"—I'm not getting on hospice, James, I've told you that. I've told Jason that." She argues, shaking her head. </p><p>"Gia—"</p><p>"—I'm thirty-four. Not eighty." </p><p>"You have a terminal illness. Hospice isn't just for old folks, Gia." </p><p>"I'm okay." She demands, her tone ending the argument altogether. </p><p>Jason keeps his mouth shut. </p><p>"Fine." He exhales.</p><p>She finds herself longing for sleep just to avoid talking anymore. </p><p>It only takes a few more minutes of Jason and Jim struggling to hold a conversation before Jim's picking up on this. </p><p>"I love you," he tells his sister, grabbing her hand, "I'll see you later." </p><p>"I love you, too, see you later." She replies softly. </p><p>"Thanks for calling me and letting me know." He says to Jason.</p><p>"Yeah, no problem." Jason replies with a nod as Jim leaves, shutting the door behind him and looking at Gia, seeing her eyes closed as peacefully as they can be. </p><p>He's wiping a tear spilling past his lashes within a millisecond, clearing his throat to further try to convince his body he doesn't need to cry right now.</p>
<hr/><p>
  <strong>13 YEARS AGO</strong>
</p><p>"Mmm," Gia hums, grinning as Jason's lips ghost between her shoulder blades, tracing her spine for a moment before she's rolling over to face him, bare legs wrapping around his hips, nails biting the flesh of his back as their mouths meet, tongues tasting each other, his hand grasping at her long hair. </p><p>"God, you're so beautiful," he says lowly, nipping at her neck and she chuckles, the both of them reeling off post-orgasm bliss, before he glances at her alarm clock beside her bed, "but I gotta go." He says next. </p><p>"Are you serious?" She questions, brows furrowed in disbelief as he kisses her cheek and pushes himself off the mattress, getting off of her to pull his clothes on. </p><p>"I'm sorry, I didn't realize how late it was and Bruce is gonna kill me if I miss curfew, again." He says next, nearly tripping as he tries to get into his jeans. </p><p>"Jason, it's our anniversary," Gia sits up, pulling the covers up to her chest. </p><p>"I know, and I'm sorry, I promise I'll make up for it, alright?" He assures her, getting his shirt over his head. </p><p>"You always do this, though," she points out. "Even when I stay at your house. You sneak out." She adds. </p><p>Jason bites his tongue, so desperately wanting to tell her the truth, but knowing Bruce won't like it if he does. </p><p>"I promise, I'll make up for it, Gia." He assures her after getting his shoes on, grabbing his jacket. "I love you, I'll see you later." He adds, leaning over the bed to kiss her, seeing tears in her eyes. </p><p>He knows he hurts her feelings when he ups and leaves randomly, but he can't necessarily help it, either. </p><p>Between her and his duties to Bruce and Gotham, he's got to choose the latter. </p><p>"I love you." He repeats it, looking her in the eyes. </p><p>"I love you, too." She says it genuinely, but frustratedly, and he kisses her temple before going to the window in her room, slipping out the same way he'd come in. </p><p>By the time he gets back home and into the batcave to get dressed, Bruce is waiting. </p><p>"You're late." He says as Jason runs in, rolling his eyes at Bruce's words. </p><p>"I was in the middle of something," Jason states, grabbing his suit. </p><p>"You know what time we start patrol." Bruce ignores his comments and Jason grumbles to himself. </p><p>"You know it's our anniversary, right? One year. One fucking year. You couldn't give me the night off?"</p><p>"You think they're all gonna be on their best behavior tonight just because Robin's bedded down with a girl he's celebrating one year of puppy love with?" </p><p>"Puppy love?" Jason raises his brows, getting defensive. "You really wanna bring up relationships? Have you ever had a girlfriend for more than three hours at a time?" </p><p>"Hurry up and get dressed. We're already twenty minutes behind." Bruce states. </p><p>"She was almost crying when I left." Jason starts next. "I feel like shit over it." He says next. </p><p>"She'll live." Bruce replies flatly. </p><p>"She thinks I'm fucking cheating on her, Bruce." Jason throws at him and he stays quiet. "I feel like I'm gonna lose her before too long if I don't tell her the truth." </p><p>"You're not telling her you're Robin." </p><p>"Why not?" </p><p>"Because she'll connect the dots and place me as Batman."</p><p>"So what, she won't tell anybody." He argues. </p><p>"Right." Bruce scoffs. </p><p>"She won't. I don't even know why you're being so dickish about it. You don't even know her." Jason hisses. </p><p>"Neither do you." Bruce replies. </p><p>"Excuse me?" </p><p>"Are you ready?" He sighs out.</p><p>Jason glares at him. </p><p>"Yeah." </p><p>A few hours later, staring up at the ceiling, sniffling and wiping her tears, Gia struggles to sleep, her feelings and ego taking a beating.</p><p>She sits up and reaches for her phone, only to find it isn't there. </p><p>"Crap," she remembers it's probably in her car, and rolls her eyes at the realization. </p><p>She glances at the time that reads 4:16a.m., and curses herself before getting out of bed and quietly stepping out of the house to her car on the side of the road.</p><p>Opening the car door and leaning over to grab her phone from the cupholder, she stops in her tracks, her spine tensing sharply when she feels a hand at the base of her back, exhaling sharply when she hears the clicking of a gun hammer being pulled back. </p><p>She closes her eyes and slowly leans back up, the hand balling in her shirt. </p><p>"You're not gonna scream," the man orders gruffly, and Gia feels nearly paralyzed in terror, her lungs and heart constricting. </p><p>"No, but you are," Jason replies in the same tone, taking the man off guard when Bruce disarms him the blink of an eye, Jason all but tackling Gia to get her out of the line of fire just as the gun goes off into the air, Bruce knocking the man in the chest, the blow sending the stranger to the ground with a sharp thud. </p><p>The last Gia or Jason see of her offender is Batman dragging him into the alley beside Gia's house as he yells and tries to get out of his grasp. </p><p>Gia tries to catch her breath, her chest heaving as she's face to face with Robin, well, face to mask. </p><p>"Sorry," he says to her, referring to tackling her, but not making any move to get off from on top of her, either. </p><p>"It's okay," she replies, studying his vivid blue eyes. Familiar eyes. Too familiar. </p><p>The next night Jason spent time trying to get as snazzy as he could, even wearing a tie, to take Gia out to a high dollar restaurant to attempt to make up for leaving her. </p><p>"Where are you going, again?" Bruce asks him, furrowing his brows as Jason steps down the stairs. </p><p>"Thinking the Royalle." Jason replies. </p><p>"That's like five hundred a plate of food." Bruce raises a brow. </p><p>"You always go there." Jason points out. </p><p>"I'm not a teenager with dad's credit card." He shoots back. </p><p>"I'm nineteen."</p><p>"Yeah. Teenager." </p><p>"I don't have your credit card. I have my own bank account, remember?" </p><p>"I just don't see the point in spending over a grand on a meal with…" Bruce cuts himself short, not knowing how to explain it. </p><p>"...A meal with who?" Jason already knows what he's getting at, turning to face him. </p><p>"I just think you two need to slow down." Bruce warns. </p><p>"Slow down? What the hell are you getting at? We're not going too fast, I don't even think we're going at all—it's not like we're getting married and pushing babies out." He argues, rolling his eyes. "I'm sorry the nineteen year old has an actual relationshipwhile you're pushing forty and still galavant like a frat boy seeing pussy for the first time." He cuts next, and Bruce lets out an exhale. </p><p>"People can take notice to the people that Robin and Batman tend to be in a more frantic hurry to save." Bruce informs him. "That's all I'm saying. You stay with someone too long, it creates a pattern. A pattern those that pay close attention pick up on. It makes them take it personally—makes them paint a target on those people just to see us squirm with the possibility that we won't be able to save them one day." </p><p>"I pity the prick that tries to paint a target on her back." Jason says darkly, just imagining it: someone daring to do that. "It'd give me a good reason to finally kill some of these motherfuckers." He finishes. </p><p>"We don't do that, Jason." Bruce sharply reminds him, rolling his jaw, looking at him. "We don't do that."</p><p>"I do that, if anybody even thinks of going after her to get to me." He defiantly pushes past him to get his car keys.</p><p>Bruce doesn't argue with him, letting out a ragged breath as Jason slams the door and heads to his car. </p><p>Gia smooths her hair down, pulling her heels on and stepping down stairs as Jim takes his jacket off and sits his keys on the counter, the door closing behind him. </p><p>"Where are you going?" He asks her, raising his brows at her in a tight black dress that barely reaches the bottom of her thighs, black tights and pointed heels to match. </p><p>"Jason's taking me out for our anniversary." She tells him. </p><p>"Did you two not celebrate that at 12:06 this morning?" He comments and her face </p><p>"Unfortunately." He mumbles next. </p><p>She goes to retort smartly, until she hears a car pull up by the curb, shortly after Jason's ringing the doorbell. </p><p>Jim opens the door, seeing Jason in a suit.</p><p>"H-Hey, Jim—"</p><p>"—It's 'James'." He narrows his eyes at him, seeing Jason's smile fall from his face for a moment. </p><p>"Jim, shut up," Gia rolls her eyes, stepping to the door, opening it wider as she comes past her brother, looking at Jason. </p><p>He struggles to catch his breath upon seeing her, frozen in place for a moment, his eyes taking her in from head to toe and back up again. </p><p>"You look…" Jason can't find a word to describe it as Gia raises her brows, a little surprised he's in a suit and tie, but he looks really good. </p><p>"...You do, too." She replies to him, rubbing her lips together. </p><p>"I want her back by midnight." Jim tells him. </p><p>"Um, actually, I have a room reserved at the plaza." Jason states. </p><p>"Of course you do." Jim replies, earning a glare from his sister. "As long as you're not on the streets past ten, I'm fine." He adds. </p><p>"You don't have to worry about that," Jason assures him, Gia taking his hand. </p><p>"Be careful. Precious cargo." Jim orders next. </p><p>"Always am." Jason informs him, opening his car door for Gia to get inside before he walks around the black and red Ferrari and gets in behind the wheel. </p><p>"Is Bruce aware of the room at the plaza?"</p><p>"Nope." He states and she raises her brows. "Don't look at me like that." </p><p>"He's gonna be pissed." She tells him. </p><p>"Well, he pissed me off last night when he wouldn't let me skip pat—past curfew." He quickly corrects himself. </p><p>Gia doesn't even notice...at least she makes him think she doesn't. </p><p>His mind then shifts to what happened last night, and he glances at her as they go down the road. </p><p>"Did you have a good night?" He asks her next, seeing if she'll talk about being held at gunpoint. </p><p>"Yeah." She nods. </p><p>"Y-You sure? I mean you were pretty upset when I left." He points out, trying to get the right answer. </p><p>"I got over it, I guess." She explains, looking out of the window, and she </p><p>"I'm really sorry about that, again." He apologizes once more, taking her hand in his and she looks at him. </p><p>"It's alright, Jason." She assures him. </p><p>"You sure?" </p><p>"Depends on where you're taking me to eat and how good the food is." She says next and he slowly grins ear to ear.</p><p>
  <strong>PRESENT</strong>
</p><p>The next night is spent with Gia attempting to brush over the fact she's not in the best physical condition but attempting—and failing—to try to clean up the apartment, only making it one eighth of the way through before giving up and falling back on her bed, trying to steady her breath. </p><p>She exhales and tries to fan herself off before she hears the light switch flip on and off as Jason tries to get the ceiling fan to come on. </p><p>Once he gets it on, she's looking up at him. </p><p>"I told you not to." He tells her, raising his brows. </p><p>"Clearly I'm glutton." She replies as he falls beside her, looking at her. </p><p>"So, I'm gonna be outta town for a couple days," he starts, swallowing thickly. </p><p>"For what?" She turns to see him. </p><p>"A couple friends of mine down in Miami need help." He explains. "They're trying to drug bust but they're failing miserably." He adds, truthfully. "Told 'em I'd go down there and see if I could help some." </p><p>"Miami?" She furrows her brows. </p><p>"Just a couple days. I'll be back before the weekend." He says next. </p><p>"Is it an actual drug bust business or is it more like drug lord business?" She raises a brow, not convinced, and he hesitates, making her close her eyes. "That's what I thought." She sits up.</p><p>"I've been playing as safe as I possibly can, Gia, and you know that, but this—"</p><p>"—You're flying across the country to have a glorified shootout is basically what you're doing." She states. "As if the last time you went out of your way to take down a bad guy, you ended up dead." </p><p>"A pimping drug smuggler is not the Joker. Two completely different types of people, and  frames of mind, firstly," he points out, "Secondly, I'm not having a shootout with anybody. I'm just gonna be the backup if it's needed. Thirdly," he starts but can't think of a thirdly, before he settles with, "I want you to stay with your brother—or Bruce." </p><p>"Why?" She snaps. </p><p>"I don't want you here by yourself." He raises his brows. </p><p>"Oh, please, Jason, I don't need babysitting." She hisses, getting off the bed. </p><p>"Gia," he rubs his forehead, sighing. </p><p>"Jason," she mimics him, rolling her eyes.</p><p>"It's not to babysit you. It's to make sure you're not alone in case you need help." He explains.</p><p>"I can stay here." She insists. </p><p>He stares for a second and lets out a breath. </p><p>"Gia." </p><p>"Jason." </p><p>She knows exactly how to get under his skin, and he know she fucking enjoys it, too. </p><p>"Fine. Stay here. I don't care." He gives up, getting off the bed. </p><p>"Baby," she starts. </p><p>"Don't 'baby' me. You're being difficult and you know you are." He states. "I don't want anyone to babysit you. But I don't want to leave you here by yourself after what just happened." </p><p>"Fine. I'll stay with my brother." She says next.</p><p>"Fine." Jason mumbles, opening the closet, ignoring the feeling of Gia's eyes burning into his back.</p><p>
  <strong>13 YEARS AGO</strong>
</p><p>Gia looks around the fancy restaurant, every customer dressed to the nines, waiters and waitresses never missing a beat to gain as many tips as they can. </p><p>Her eyes catch on the dimly lit chandeliers hanging from the ceilings, and Jason watches as she gawks at her surroundings with the excitement of a little kid. </p><p>"How much is this place gonna cost you?" She asks him, seeing that only a few items on the menu actually list the price, and they're still heart attack prices. </p><p>"I don't know, I don't necessarily care since Bruce owns it." Jason shrugs it off and she widens her eyes at how casually he's looking over the menu with no second thoughts. "Get whatever you want." He adds as the waiter brings them their water.</p><p>"Are we ready to order, Mr. Wayne?" He asks and Jason sends a small wink to Gia, not denying the last name because it's gonna get him and Gia free meals. </p><p>"The fillet, cooked medium," He tells him. </p><p>"And for you, miss?"</p><p>"I'll have the same." She says.</p><p>"And she needs a glass of red wine," Jason more-so commands instead of asks. </p><p>"I.D.?" The waiter asks and Gia grabs her license from her purse and shows it to him. </p><p>"Which one would you like?" He asks Gia, as if she knows anything about wine. </p><p>"Um…" she looks at Jason for help. </p><p>"...Surprise her." Jason tells him. </p><p>"Will do." The waiter nods before assuring them he'll get their orders in. </p><p>"Wine?" Gia raises her brows. </p><p>"What? You just turned 21 last week. I figured it's a nice late birthday present." He adds.</p><p>"Yeah?" </p><p>"Yeah." </p><p>"Guess now's a good time to tell you I don't like wine." She informs him and his smug smirk just grows.</p><p>
  <strong>PRESENT</strong>
</p><p>"Go home, Gordon." Danni states to Gia the next day as she comes into the lab. </p><p>"It's a work day." Gia replies, in the same tone, pulling her hair back in to a ponytail. </p><p>"You're sick." </p><p>"I can still work." She exhales, glancing at her individually tanked snakes, wondering if they've been fed today. "Have they eaten?" She asks next. </p><p>"Hell if I know." Danni shrugs, looking over some notes she's taken. "Go home." She repeats. </p><p>"I told you I can work." </p><p>"We know—we saw the evidence of that earlier this week." She cuts back, referring to the broken microscope they found. "Go home." She says for the third time...Gia started taking her seriously. </p><p>"What the hell is your deal?" She snaps and Danni sighs. </p><p>"It's not my orders." Is all she says. </p><p>"Then who's telling me to go home?" </p><p>"The same one who paid for that microscope you broke." </p><p>"Bruce told you to tell me to go home?" Gia cuts her eyes. </p><p>"He told Natalie, who passed it down to me to tell you." Danni explains, hesitantly. </p><p>"Bruce?" Gia feels her stomach turn, her heart aching just a little bit. </p><p>"Gia, I'm sure—"</p><p>"—Is he here?" She cuts Danni short. </p><p>"I-I—Maybe? I'm not sure." Danni tells her honestly. "Why?" </p><p>Gia doesn't reply, she just stomps out of the lab, heels hammering into the tiled floor as she hits the button on the elevator. </p><p>"Gia!" Danni continues to call after her, exhaling when she realizes what she's up to. </p><p>When Gia gets to the floor Bruce usually operates on, she's shoving past people. </p><p>"Where's Bruce?" She snaps, one of the employees on the floor stating, "meeting," and she doesn't bother to find out who said it in the hall of people, she just marches to the conference room and barges in.</p><p>Bruce is seated among seven others, power poing presentation on the screen in front of the table as an older bald man talks. </p><p>Everybody looks at the door as soon as it swings open and loudly hits the wall behind it. </p><p>Bruce sees Gia, furious, shaking, and prepares. </p><p>"'Go home, you're sick'?!" She throws at him. </p><p>"Gia, we are in the middle of a mee—"</p><p>"—Fuck your meeting!" She shouts, throwing her jacket at him, hoping the zipper takes his eye out or something. "I get to work and the first thing I fucking hear is, 'go home'!"</p><p>Their audience looks on in dismay as Bruce stands up and steps to her. </p><p>"Gia, we can talk about this—"</p><p>"—I don't wanna talk about this, not with you, because I know anything you tell me is just to get me to shut up!" She barks. "I can work!" </p><p>"You're not emotionally stable enough to work right now, Gia." He says lowly, hoping none of colleagues or guests hear it. </p><p>"Oh, God, please, because I broke a piece of equipment that you can't afford to buy 500 million of!?!" She looks at the people watching with wide eyes and decides to hit him where it hurts. "Just be honest and tell me you don't want a cancer patient working for you!" She makes sure to say it loud enough for everybody to hear, their expressions shift, and they glance at each other. </p><p>"That's not—"</p><p>"—We already had to push past the fact you were reluctant to hire me because I'm a woman of color but now—"</p><p>"—What are you saying?!" Bruce is shocked, putting his hands on her shoulders and pushing Gia out of the room gently. </p><p>"And he pushes women around!" She shouts to the room of people before Bruce slams the door behind them and glares down at her. </p><p>"What the fuck are you doing, Gia?!" He quietly tears into her. </p><p>"You stop my work, I stop your work." She replies harshly. "This is a low blow, Bruce, and you know it, you've crossed a fucking line." </p><p>"I've crossed a fucking line? Says the ones who has my conference room thinking I discriminate against and beat up terminally ill women." </p><p>"Terminally ill women of color," she corrects him. </p><p>"Gia, it's nothing personal." He tells her. "It's not. But I can't have an erratic biotechnician making a mess out of experiments that aren't going her way." </p><p>"I had a human moment, Bruce—"</p><p>"—You're on a strong opioid, Gia. You smelt like alcohol the other night. I'm not letting you ruin your own hard work and good reputation by driving yourself over the edge with this mess." He adds and she feels tears in her eyes. "I'm not firing you. I'm telling you I don't want you here anymore. You need to be at home resting, or off with Jason or your brother or your friends, living the rest of your life the best that you can." </p><p>"This is my life, Bruce." Her voice shakes.</p><p>"I'm sorry, Gia." He means it when he says it, knowing how important her job is. "Go home." </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. CHAPTER FIVE</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Gia finishes off the flask, taking a drag of her cigarette while simultaneously attempting to stay on the road as she speeds across the bridge from the city to hell. </p><p>She wishes she would have brought more alcohol when she sees the eery peaks of the asylum's roof, the decades old building looking as though its tearing apart at the seams from years of trapping the screams, tears, and deaths of its victims within the walls.</p><p>Everything gets in. Nothing gets out. </p><p>She believes, "abandon hope all ye who enter here," should be plastered on the front gate that reads in bold letters, "ARKHAM ASYLUM." </p><p>It sends a chill down her spine but she drives until she reaches the dimly lit parking lot and parks the car in a space close to the door, staring at the chipping paint of the building filled with cloudy, barred windows—some windows obviously painted over with black paint.</p><p>She steps to the front door and hits the bell, opting a fuzzy voice to come over the intercom speaker. </p><p>"Visiting hours are over." A man speaks over the speaker and she presses the button to say, "This is Gia Gordon. I'm here to speak to Dr. Arkham." </p><p>There's a pause before the door unlocks and she pulls it open, stepping into the make-shift lobby, a security guard holding a hand held metal detector, and she raises her brows. </p><p>"We ask that you put your personal belongings in here," He tells her, handing her a plastic container. </p><p>She puts her purse in it before he's hovering over her with the detector. </p><p>"Let Arkham know he's got a guest." The guard tells the receptionist located behind protective glass and she nods, picking up the office phone. </p><p>It only takes Arkham three minutes to get down to the lobby, Gia having to keep herself from audibly cursing upon seeing him. </p><p>He'd always given her the creeps. </p><p>"Miss Gordon, it's good to see you again, how are you?" He asks her. </p><p>"As good as I can be." She tells him as he leads her to the elevator and she takes a deep breath when the lights flicker just a little bit, her counterpart ignoring the smell of smoke and alcohol on her breath. "I really appreciate you being able to see me today on such short notice.," she says next.</p><p>"No, it's no problem. When they told me you had called I knew immediately it was urgent." He explains, raising his brows before pushing his circular framed glasses up his nose as they get off the elevator and step to his office. "So, what can I do for you?" He asks when they get in, Gia taking in the sight of unorganized files, a computer with sticky notes framing the screen, and filing cabinets so full they're one fourth of the way open. </p><p>He sits down and smiles at her as she cautiously sits down. </p><p>"As you probably know, I'm sick." She says. "And it's gotten worse, and because it's gotten worse, my boss—Bruce Wayne—has let me go from Wayne Biotech to live the rest of my life." She states and Jeremiah raises his brows. "I've been working for several months on developing a cure for what's killing me, using Wayne Biotech''s labs and resources to do so but now that I no longer gave access to those things—"</p><p>"—I'd be overjoyed to let you use our labs here at Arkham." He cuts her short. "The technology isn't as up to date or state of the art but it gets the job done." </p><p>"Well, it's-it's not exactly as simple as that, either." She warns him.</p><p>"What do you mean?" </p><p>"I know what works and what doesn't work in this...search…I've been doing. I just need to engineer it properly. Wayne Chemicals has proven absolutely useless in terms of alterations but you might be able to help me with that, indirectly, at least." She says next and he furrows his brows, confused. </p><p>"None of our staff has any training in chemical engineering." He informs her and she has to try to manually slow her speeding heart rate, her palms prickling with anxiety. </p><p>"Your staff, no. One of your patients, yes." She states. </p><p>He stares at her, racking his brain for a moment, and not a moment longer. </p><p>"The Joker? To cure your cancer?" He has to hold back a laugh—as ironic as laughter is in this instance. "That is the most preposterous idea I've ever heard. He's a patient. He's mentally vulnerable and you want to pry into that for your gain?" </p><p>"For his gain, too." She rushes to try to save her case. "He's intelligent, you know he is, and we both know you want these people to be given the help they need and to be accepted back into society. Just think if this were to work, the Joker would be accoladed with curing cancer, Jeremiah." She lays it on thick, not believing for a second it'd help him in any way—except being able to taunt her with it for the rest of their lives. </p><p>Arkham purses his lips. </p><p>"Besides, don't you want to know if he can pull it off?" She adds, raising her brows.</p><p>"Anyone being able to cure cancer is an ethereal idea in itself, at this point." He argues. </p><p>"Which is exactly why it makes sense that he would be the one to do it." She doesn't give up. "How many times have you seen him do something and thought, 'how the hell did he manage to do that?'" </p><p>She makes a good point, and he gives that to her. </p><p>"So, what, we just let him have free reign over our labs, our resources, for however many days it takes?" </p><p>"He works fast when he gets his mind on something—we'll probably need less than a day." She quickly rebuttals. </p><p>"Well, Miss Gordon, you've just got this all figured out." He takes his glasses off, leaning back in his chair. "The one thing I'm not sure you've failed to pinpoint, though…" he leans forward, folding his hands on his desk. "...Will he feel like getting his mind on it?"</p>
<hr/><p>The Joker whistles while laying on his cell floor, not making any noise due to his lips</p><p>being dry, an airy whisp pushing beteen them as he stares up at the ceiling, a distant, soft echo of silent steps down the hall, growing closer and closer. </p><p>His head tilts slowly to look at the door, and he finds a sick comfort in the fact that his onlooker can't see him due to the cut off lights in his cell being that everyone is supposed to be sleeping at this time, and the emergency lights from the hallway aren't bright enough to expose him. </p><p>He can see her, though. </p><p>Barefoot, heels in hand, staring in the general direction that she believes he's in. </p><p>He's quietly, too quietly, getting up. </p><p>She can't see him, she can't hear him, but she knows he's in there. </p><p>He waits for her to get right up to the door, inches from the glass, before slowly stepping out of the dark, reminiscent of a shark slowly swimming from the shadows to torment it's prey. </p><p>Gia wants to take a step back, but forces herself to stay where she's at, looking up at him. </p><p>She swallows thickly at the sight of him. </p><p>He doesn't have his usual crimson smile, his entire face a blank canvas—white as one, too. </p><p>Arkham's gotten a tighter grip on leniency with him since he screwed up one of their best doctors. </p><p>He glares at her, eyes cutting just the slightest. She looks nearly unrecognizable...unhealthily skinny—boney, even—deep circles under her eyes, her skin nearly sallow, her skin taught against her cheek bones, her eyes exhausted. </p><p>She's in a dress, though, and he glances again at the heels in her hand. </p><p>You can sprinkle glitter on shit, but it's still shit. </p><p>He grins at this thought and Gia keeps her breath as steady as she can as his lips pull upward sharply, the whisper of a laugh leaving his throat. </p><p>He stops suddenly, seeing her unwavering commitment to standing before him.</p><p>Like tapping at a fish in a tank, he raises his pointer finger and taps against the glass window three times. </p><p>Gia finally takes one step back. </p><p>This was going to be a little more difficult than what she was expecting.</p>
<hr/><p>
  <strong>13 YEARS AGO</strong>
</p><p>"I'm sorry, Gia, alright, just—"</p><p>"—This is the second night in a row, Jason." She harshly spits, snatching her heel off the floor of the hotel suite as he buttons his shirt back up. </p><p>"Bruce just called me, alright? It's an emergency." He tells her. </p><p>"Right, right, I'm sure it is." She smartly replies. </p><p>"It is, Gia." He argues, glaring at her. </p><p>"Oh, don't look at me like that, Jason—"</p><p>"—Look at you like what, Gia?! I just made a fucking expression!" </p><p>"Look at me like I'm overreacting and being unreasonable!" </p><p>"Because you are!" He pulls his shoes on and she starts trying to get her dress back on. "You think I like leaving you or something, you think I'm just itching to get away from you so damn bad that I'm jumping for joy as soon as Bruce tells me to come home?!" </p><p>"Can we stop pretending 'Bruce' is the one calling you home, Jason? Can we do that? Because at this point in our relationship it's fucking exhausting to keep up this facade that I believe Bruce is the one getting you to leave all the time." She snaps and he stands up, raising his brows. </p><p>"Who the fuck else would it be, Gia?!" He cuts his eyes. </p><p>"We know who it is. I don't have to know a name or a face to know—"</p><p>"—You think I'm cheating on you?" He asks as clarification. </p><p>"I didn't say that. But, sure, I think you're lying to me. I think you're not being honest about who you're seeing, or where you're going, or why, and if that's another girl or not—"</p><p>"—Fuck you, Gia, alright?" He barks without a second thought and she scoffs. </p><p>"You don't have time, Jason, remember? Your master has rung his bell and just like his little bitch, you're running to his side." She comments, getting her heels on and Jason grinds his teeth. </p><p>His phone starts vibrating again and he looks down to see it's Bruce, again. </p><p>"Go." She tells him, scoffing out, walking to the door. </p><p>He's tempted to throw the phone at the wall but decides against it, answering the phone. </p><p>"Hello?" </p><p>"Change of plans, we don't have time for you to meet me—Barbara and Dick are backing me up, I need you to get Gia out of that hotel." </p><p>"Bruce, what the hell is going on?" Jason demands, slamming the door shut again when Gia opens it. </p><p>"Gordon put Harley away last night, Joker's pissed, he's hunting Gia down to bite back." </p><p>"He doesn't know she's here, there's no way he does." Jason states in disbelief. </p><p>"The staff is packed with people clawing for money, Jason, he's got bugs everywhere." Bruce explains. </p><p>"Fuck," </p><p>"Which means if he doesn't have your room number and a key to the room by now, he will when he gets there which is why you need to get her out of there." </p><p>Gia glances out of the glass door that leads to the balcony, hearing a faint commotion down on the street, furrowing her brows. </p><p>Jason's attention snaps to the balcony, and he opens the door and stands out, Gia furrowing her brows as she looks down, seeing people bustling out of the restaurant below the hotel. </p><p>She goes to look up, focusing on the building in front of them...one of the windows up just a fourth of the way…</p><p>"How the fuck do I tell her, Bruce, she doesn't—" Jason realizes Gia's on the balcony, and immediately goes to her, his eyes catching on what her's are on, except he doesn't have to wonder what it is. </p><p>He knows. </p><p>He pulls her to the ground a millisecond before the shooter starts firing off rounds.</p><p>She chokes out a cry as he pulls her back into the room, taking deep breaths. </p><p>"What the hell is happening, Jason?!" </p><p>"Gia…" he starts, frantically trying to pull his mind together. </p><p>Her phone rings and she sees it's her brother.</p><p>"Don't answer it," He orders her.</p><p>"It's Jim, Jason." She argues.</p><p>"No, it's not." He states, grabbing the phone from her. </p><p>"Jason!" </p><p>"Keep quiet and follow me." He tells her quietly, opening the door and looking down the hallway to see nobody up there...yet. </p><p>"Jason, what the fuck is going on." She demands, his hand white knuckling hers. </p><p>"I'll tell you when this is over." He assures her, going down the hallway a rooms before taking a step back in front of one of the rooms opposite of the wall their room is on. </p><p>"Someone just tried to shoot me down, Jason." She argues, her throat tight with tears that cascade down her cheeks. </p><p>"They weren't shooting at you." He promises her. </p><p>"What?" </p><p>"They're trying to get me outta the way." </p><p>"What?" </p><p>"Cutting out the middleman." He replies, taking in a breath and kicking the hotel room door in, it's occupants screaming as Jason drags Gia behind him to their balcony. </p><p>"You two hide." He tells the couple that have been woken up from their sleep, laying in the bed, confused and horrified. </p><p>"What middleman?" She questions, confused. "Who's after you?" </p><p>He ignores her, getting the balcony door open. </p><p>He's not worried about snipers on this side of the building, the bay only being separated from the hotel by a slim slat of sidewalk, no other buildings able to reach their line of sight this far back. </p><p>"C'mon," he pulls her along as he climbs over the railing, his foot on the concrete ledgeing around the building. </p><p>Gia's heart sinks in her stomach. </p><p>"You can't be serious." She tells him. </p><p>"Just don't look down, you'll be alright." He assures her. </p><p>They hear gun fire in the hotel and Gia tenses up. </p><p>"Gia, you gotta trust me, if you fall I've got you." He promises and she shakes her head a little bit. </p><p>"Jason, I can't." </p><p>"Your brother had Harley Quinn locked away recently, Joker's mad as shit and is hunting you down." Jason tells her honestly. </p><p>"W-What? He doesn't even know me, how does he even know I exis—"</p><p>"—He's got moles everywhere, Gia, including Wayne Tower and the G.C.P.D." Jason explains. "I can get you safe if you will just trust me." </p><p>She reluctantly takes his hand and once she's on the ledge with him, she lets go to brace her palms against the side of the building for balance. </p><p>"You're doing great, babe," Jason encourages her, trying to move as quickly as possible. </p><p>"What're we doing?" She asks him. "What's the plan?" </p><p>He comes to a stopping point and looks at her. </p><p>"Climb down." He says. </p><p>"Climb down? How?" </p><p>Jason raises his brows. </p><p>"This is where the trust comes in." He states. </p>
<hr/><p>
  <strong>PRESENT</strong>
</p><p>Gia sits quietly across the room as an orderly handcuffs the Joker to the shackles in the floor, and on the table that seated several feet away from her. </p><p>"You have an hour," Jeremiah tells her, glancing at the makeupless clown as he smugly looks at Gia.</p><p>"Thank you." She tells him and he gives a single nod before leaving them alone. </p><p>"'Thank you,'" Joker copies her tone of voice and pitch. "So, sweet." He adds, and she rolls her jaw, not saying a word. "Is this date night so we can makeup for the hostile feelings we've created amongst ourselves regarding one another?" He asks next. "Because I'm not so sure I'm ready for that yet—think I have a couple more attempts left to be made on your life. Real creative ones." He explains. </p><p>"You've dangled me from the sixteenth floor of a hotel—"</p><p>"—Thirteenth," he corrects her. </p><p>"You've totaled my car and attempted to light me on fire in the middle of the road while I was trapped in said car. You've tied me up and tried to blow me to hell. You've dangled me over a vat of chemicals. And lastly, you burned down Wayne Manor, and made sure I was the only one left in there." She reminds him and his grin gets wider and wider with each incident. "So, I'm curious to know what attempts you have left?" </p><p>"I've thought up four more in the midst of your complaining." He tells her, monotone, and she balls her fist up. </p><p>"How's bird boy? He still holding out that grudge against me?" </p><p>"We're not here for him." She hisses. </p><p>"Then what, little Gordon, are we—you—here for?" His curiosity is piqued and she exhales. </p><p>"How do you know so much about chemistry?"</p><p>"Why does it matter?" He retorts. </p><p>"You owe me something." She states. </p><p>"What could I possibly owe you?" </p><p>"I know you'd love to be the one to do me in, but cancer's beat you to it,"</p><p>"I wasn't gonna mention how fucked you look but I'm not necessarily one to talk at the moment," he mentions. </p><p>"I've been experimenting since my diagnosis and I've found that snake venom can kill cancer cells." </p><p>"Not without killing the healthy cells, too, you'd have to stabilize the protei…" he cuts himself short, looking at her knowingly. </p><p>"You owe me a favor since you killed Jason, and as much as I know doing something halfway decent will just damn near kill you, I'm not ready to die. Not like this. And you won't be able to make those creative attempts at trying to kill me if I'm already dead." </p><p>He thinks for a moment, empty blue eyes narrowing at her…</p><p>"You want me to help you cure your cancer?" He asks, hand going to his chest, over where his heart should be, pretending to be touched.</p><p>"I want you to engineer the treatment so it won't kill off healthy cells. I know you can do it." She says next. </p><p>"You're sure of that?" </p><p>"Pretty damn sure." </p><p>"Maybe you need to be in here." He says next. </p><p>"You in or not?" She ignores his comment.</p><p>"What's in it for me?" </p><p>"If it doesn't work, I die." </p><p>That's not good enough for him. </p><p>"And if it does happen to work…?"</p><p>She tries to think for a moment. </p><p>"...Tell ya what," he starts, leaning forward in his chair a little and she finds herself leaning back away from him as if they're inches apart, when in reality they're a length away from each other, "if it works, you owe me a couple favors." </p><p>"What kind of favors?" She cuts. </p><p>"Only be tacked as a couple misdemeanors if you get caught." He shrugs. "Not that your moral code is much better than mine being that you're doing something very illegal here." He adds. </p><p>"I'm not like you." She says clearly. </p><p>"You want my help or not?" He questions. </p><p>"Fine." She relents, and he gets his eery smile back on his face as he asks, "Should we seal it in blood?"</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. CHAPTER SIX</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Hello?" Gia answers the phone, seeing Jason's name flash across her screen as she shuts the door of their apartment, Rambo barking and carrying on until he sees it's her. </p><p>"Hey," he replies, falling back on the bed in his hotel room, "I was about to go out but I wanted to call and check on you." He says. </p><p>"I'm good," she says to him, taking a deep breath. </p><p>"Are you sure?" He asks, raising his brows, and she rubs her lips together.  </p><p>"Yeah, I'm sure." She replies calmly, patting Rambo on the head. </p><p>"Are you staying with your brother?" He asks next and she lets out a breath. </p><p>"I'm fine here, Jason." She assures him and he closes his eyes, sitting up and rubbing his forehead. </p><p>"Gia…" </p><p>"...I'm okay. I feel okay. I'm doing okay." </p><p>He can't bring himself to argue with her, despite knowing she's lying. </p><p>"Besides, you'll only be gone for two more days." She adds. </p><p>"Yeah, and I've been a total of fourteen hours and you're already stirring up trouble." He smiles to himself and she tenses up, her heart stopping momentarily. </p><p>"W-What?" </p><p>"Oh, c'mon, like Bruce wouldn't call me and tell me to get you in check after you basically told him to go fuck himself in front of his room of important assholes." He chuckles. </p><p>"Oh," she sighs with relief, taking a breath, "I didn't mean to be like that, I just got frustrated." She admits. </p><p>"He's not trying to be an ass, babe." Jason says cautiously. </p><p>"I know he's not." </p><p>They're quiet for a moment. </p><p>"I really miss you." He tells her, honestly, and she feels guilty. </p><p>"I really miss you, too." She replies. "Just be careful and you'll be back here before you know it." </p><p>"I'm always careful." He states. "It's you I'm worried about." </p><p>"I'm okay, Jason." Her voice shakes and he doesn't miss it. </p><p>"Are you crying?" He asks next, feeling bad for not being there. </p><p>"I've been like this all day off and on." She laughs it off. "Just me being a pussy." </p><p>"I'm really sorry, Gia." He says. "I can talk to Bruce about—"</p><p>"—No, it's okay." She promises. "I'm just moody, I guess." </p><p>"Get some rest, alright?" </p><p>"Yeah." She smiles softly, stepping to their room and taking her shoes off. </p><p>"I'll see you when I get home." </p><p>"I'll see you then." She replies. </p><p>"Goodnight, Gia. I love you."</p><p>"I love you, too, Jason."</p><p>Her words bring a little smile to his face, filling the little void not seeing her today has made. </p><p>They hang up, and she starts cursing herself as he puts his phone down on the bedside table and rakes his hands through his hair. </p>
<hr/><p>Bruce quickly steps down the hallway of Wayne Biotech, avoiding running into movers as they push crates on carts past him coming from the direction of the lab Gia worked out of. </p><p>He gets to the doorway, seeing Gia carefully placing a snake into one of the crates with tongs. </p><p>"What the hell are you doing?" He asks her, stepping into the lab and she looks up at him. </p><p>"Getting my snakes. They're transferring to Arkham Asylum." She explains. </p><p>"Arkham?" Bruce furrows his brows. </p><p>"I spoke to Jeremiah last night, he's carrying out my research." She adds. </p><p>"What?" </p><p>"I handed the rights of it over to him."</p><p>"There are no rights, it's public domain, Gia." He argues. </p><p>"According to the D.A., once it's gone through trial and error and is successful at curing cancer, these big companies will be dying to slap their name on one and start selling it, and will pay whatever price they can pay. In that case, it is patented if we file for it—and we're in the process of doing such—and he will be the one with the credit, and he will be the one getting money for it. Not me. Not Wayne Biotech. Not Wayne Chemicals. Him and his associates. I refuse to leave any loophole for you to find a way to make money off of it." </p><p>"Is that your final 'fuck you,' to me, or something?" Bruce asks her, rolling his jaw. </p><p>He's not mad she's handing it over to someone else, he's mad she thinks he cares about the money. </p><p><em>Not yet</em>, she thinks to herself, pushing past him to leave with the last of her snakes. </p><p>"What the hell does a psychiatric ward doctor want with that, anyway? Does he even have access to the resources he needs?" </p><p>"I don't know the details." She lies. </p><p>"I'm sure you don't." He states, knowing she's up to something. </p><p>She doesn't answer, breathing out and pushing past him as the last snake is wheeled out. </p>
<hr/><p>
  <strong>13 YEARS AGO</strong>
</p><p>Jason exhales as his feet touch the ledge of the hotel building, Gia shakily gripping to the concrete wall as best as she can. </p><p>"You're okay, Gia, you're doing good." He tells her, as he crouches down. "Alright, come on." he says gently and she tries to breathe as best as she can, giving him her hand. "Alright, hold on tight," he tells her and she nods as he holds tightly to her hand. "Okay, one, two, three," she carefully steps off the ledge as he grips her hand and uses her velocity to swing her to the next ledge down. </p><p>She takes a breath of relief when she feels the tips of her bare toes touch it as Jason crouches down so she can reach. </p><p>She discarded her heels when she realized she'd have to balance on the side of a building. </p><p>"Two down, fourteen to go." Jason comments lightly as he skillfully gets himself down to the same story Gia's on. </p><p>They've been hearing stray gunshots from inside every now and then...he's been hoping Bruce, Dick, and Barbara are being quick about it. </p><p>He lets her take a moment before saying, "we'll be down before you know it," urging her to grasp his hand again. </p><p>Neither of them have taken notice to the fact that the first thirteen floors are regular hotel rooms, and not suites, which is a cause for more windows lined up closer together. </p><p>Neither of them notice this until Gia's hanging from Jason's hand, her toes merely ghosting against the concrete ledge along the bottom of the window…</p><p>The window shatters, startling Gia and she gasps as she slips and lets go of Jason's hand, screaming for only a millisecond until she's caught. </p><p>Jason's heart sinks as he leans over.</p><p>The Joker whistles down at her, his bloodied hand holding tightly to Gia's as she hangs. </p><p>Jason sees something from the corner of his eye, sighing out when he sees Dick a few stories above them on the balcony railing with a grappling gun. </p><p>The Joker leans out of the window, only making Gia more nervous as her hand slowly starts to slip from the sticky bloodied palm of the clown.</p><p>
  <strong>PRESENT</strong>
</p><p>Gia bites her teeth together when the stark white hand roughly grabs her's and shoves her sleeve up her forearm. </p><p>Needle, transfer tube, and blood collection vial on the table beside where she's sitting.</p><p>He feels around for a good vein, deciding she doesn't have any before trying the other arm. </p><p>Taking note that her arms are so frail he could probably snap one in half with his hands, he grins at the thought, sending an uneasy chill up her spine to her neck, making her wince. </p><p>He glances down at her feet, tucked safely into heels, eyes a vein on the top of her right foot. </p><p>Gia digs her nails into her palms when he tightly grabs her ankle and pulls it off of her foot. </p><p>She instinctively tries to pull her foot away, to no avail, his eyes slowly flickering to her as his jaw tightens as if saying, "I dare you to try to get away." </p><p>It doesn't take but a moment to realize he's going for the vein in her foot and she calms down for a moment before he's gently isolating the vein, his careful movements a stark contrast to him practically manhandling the way he shoves the needle into her skin, the abrupt pinch and sting making her take a sharp breath, her eyes squeezing closed as he audibly chuckles to himself, making her tempted to kick him in the face with her other foot, but she decides against it. </p><p>She glances up to the window in the lab where the guards are carefully watching the two of them. </p><p>"Something else about this…" She starts softly to him. </p><p>"Hmm," is all he says in response, watching her blood flow into the tube. </p><p>"...I'm not using test subjects for this." She tells him and he looks at her. "There's no test run. As soon as you get it how you believe it's how it should be, I'm administering it." She adds. </p><p>This gets him to look at her. </p><p>"Does Arkham know that?" He asks through his teeth, knowing they can hear them if they're not careful, and she shakes her head, just slightly. </p><p>This detail makes him even more happy to oblige.</p>
<hr/><p>
  <strong>13 YEARS AGO</strong>
</p><p>"This is sad," the madman comments, curling his lip as he grabs his hand gun from his holster. "But fuck it." </p><p>"No!" Gia barks out, panicking, before Joker shoots as best as he can in the general direction Gia was hanging from. </p><p>He smiles when he hears a sharp punch of skin. </p><p>Jason looks down at the hole in his chest before looking at Dick one last time before he gets light headed and falls. </p><p>Once Joker sees the vigilante dive after him, he sarcastically puts his other hand above his eyes to curve the city lights around them so he can see the two men falling freely before he's pulling Gia up harshly, her disparaging shrieks music to his ears. </p><p>She gets cut up by the window that's been left in shambles as she's pulled into the room, Joker keeping a tight grip on her arm to keep her from straying.</p><p>He can feel her shaking, her dress torn from the ragged edges of glass she was pulled up against, a deep gash in her stomach that she's trying to keep her arm over to get some pressure on it. </p><p>She can't feel it due to adrenaline, but she knows she'll feel it in a matter of moments. </p><p>"Now, to put it lightly," Joker mumbles, grabbing James' phone from his pocket, scrolling until he gets to Renee Montoya.</p><p>"Joker, we're not playing games with you." Renee immediately cuts through the bullshit as she scrambles in front of the Plaza that's currently been declared a hostage situation, waving Gordon over when he looks at her from a few feet away, his heart picking up rapidly when he discovers who she's on the phone with. </p><p>"I think now would be a good time to ask me how high I want you to jump." Joker cuts back, his eyes flickering down to Gia. </p><p>"Why's that?" Montoya questions, dreading his answer. </p><p>"I can see why Gordon's been hiding baby sister away all this time. She's far too pretty for a place like Gotham—especially being the commissioner's sister, too enticing of a target to pass up." He sneers through bitter teeth, resisting the urge to choke her out right here, right now. </p><p>The color drains of Renee's face, and Gordon takes a breath, catching his temper before grabbing the phone from her. </p><p>"How high?" Gordon demands into the receiver. </p><p>The clown looks at Gia again, smiling at her, his hand—busted up from punching through the thick glass of the window—brushing against her cheek, making her skin crawl. </p><p>"Joker." Jim snaps after the line is silent for a moment. </p><p>Joker's paper-white thumb brushes over the 'end call' button, before he hangs up, not breaking eye contact with her, dropping the phone and giving it a heavy step under his shoe, causing it to break. </p><p>
  <strong>PRESENT</strong>
</p><p>Gia feels her stomach turn as she watches her blood being examined in the multiple little tubes of samples her accomplice has taken,  now holding them up to the light to see it better. </p><p>It's odd for him to see it so isolated. </p><p>He's only ever pictured it splattered about wherever he's left her to die and rot for her brother to find. </p><p>"Which one?" He asks flatly, still looking at his specimen, and she glances at the snakes in the corner, barely enough room for them to all fit in here, but Jeremiah made it work.</p><p>"The taipan, she's on the bottom." She replies. </p><p>"What's the point of having them all here if you're not gonna use them?" He asks next and she furrows her brows. </p><p>"Excuse me?" </p><p>"Just a thought." </p><p>"A reckless one." She doesn't hesitate to cut him down and he glares at her from the corner of his eye. </p><p>"I wasn't aware you were under the impression you were in kahoots with Mr. Caution." He mumbles. </p><p>"I wasn't aware you were under the impression that I actually want to die." She spits back. </p><p>"You're placing your trust in me. Let that speak for itself." He points out brutally.</p>
<hr/><p>Jason winces as he tries to doctor his own wound, half-assing stitches into his arm where he was caught up in a barbed wire fence in an attempt at breaking and entering...and possibly killing. </p><p>"Let's, like, not do that again." Roy harper comments as he gets out of the bathroom, covered in his own share of cuts. </p><p>"This is the second night in a row I've been here and we haven't gotten them." Jason grumbles out, raising his brows. </p><p>"I know, alright, but I swear tomorrow night, we've got it in the bag." Roy states. </p><p>"We better because I'm not staying here another night. We're finishing this tomorrow night and then I'm immediately getting back home." </p><p>"Dude, you used to love this stuff. You'd hang around for weeks and just tear shit up with me." Roy recalls the first few years after Jason's resurrection, and Jason exhales, finishing his stitches. </p><p>"I can't afford to stay here and tear shit up, Roy." He replies, honestly, trying not to worry about Gia anymore. </p><p>If she were in trouble, she'd let him know. </p><p>"Yeah, I picked up on that." He chuckles as Jason checks his phone to see if Gia texted him back. </p><p>She hasn't. </p><p>"I doubt she's gonna croak while you're gone." Roy adds and Jason stands up, getting his boots off, ignoring him. </p><p>"Yeah." Jason mumbles, going to the bathroom to shower next.</p><p>"She managed to stay alive while you were 'dead,' I think she'll be okay if you had to stay another night." He adds. </p><p>"Roy, I told you. Tomorrow. That's it. If we can't get your guy by then, then look for someone else for the job." Jason gruffly states, not leaving room for an argument. </p><p>Roy just breathes out and goes to the door. </p><p>"I'm calling it a night," He tells Jason. "See you tomorrow." </p><p>"Later." Jason replies, shutting the bathroom door and leaning against it, staring in the mirror at himself. "Fuck." He grumbles, eyeing the stitches. </p><p>He figures they'll be ready to take out by this time tomorrow night. </p><p>His phone dings on the bathroom counter and he picks it up to see a text.</p><p>
  <em>Gia: We need to talk.</em>
</p><p>He furrows his brows, deciding to call her.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. CHAPTER SEVEN</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>WARNING: <br/>EXPLICIT VIOLENCE <br/>MENTION OF RAPE</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <strong>CHAPTER SEVEN</strong>
  </em>
</p><p>Gia's shaking, cold hands grip the stainless steel counter in the lab, sweat beading down her face as she shivers, trying to catch her breath. </p><p>Her head is swimming from trying to pull out of anesthetics, her body stinging, aching. </p><p>"I'm dying." She shutters out, panicked but too exhausted to cause too much of a fuss. </p><p>"No, you're not." Joker replies sourly, sitting down, head leaned back against the wall, his eyes closed. </p><p>Twenty seven fucking hours just for her to accuse him of half-ass fixing her...he'd say he went an extra mile in ensuring her survival, actually. </p><p>She tries to put together what exactly happened. One minute she was questioning why exactly he was going to draw blood from the snakes after he posed the question, "how the hell do you get blood from these things?" </p><p>Before she could explain that they have a scale one third of the way down their back that's obviously different from their other scale, and just underneath it is their heart to draw blood from, he was suddenly shooting her full of sedative and pinning her until she gave way and stopped being coherent enough to fight. </p><p>Glass and blood prickle at her feet as she tries her best to ignore the sprawled, beheaded bodies of the snakes that were once safely tucked away. </p><p>He found a way to get blood samples from them.</p><p>"What did you do?" She asks him next, her heart feeling as though it's going to pound out of her chest.</p><p>He just keeps his eyes closed, his face towards the ceiling, a sly, smug, knowing little tug of his lips pulling upwards…</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>13 YEARS AGO</strong>
</p><p>Gia shakes uncontrollably as she hears the peeling of duct tape screech out in the confined elevator. </p><p>The faint, dim, emergency light is the only thing lighting the elevator since the power's been cut off. </p><p>She doesn't know if it's Batman's doing, or Joker's...she assumes the latter because when it cut off mid-elevator ride, he mumbled, "perfect timing." </p><p>She breathes out, panting, really, her arm trying to slow down the bleeding of her abdomen as she lays in the corner. </p><p>"Where oh where are you at, Bats?" Joker mumbles, getting frustrated. "Don't you just hate when your date stands you up?" He asks the girl, crouching down, pushing her hair, that's sticking to her sweaty, clammy skin, away from her face and her neck. "Course I'm not the only one in this instance...maybe they just don't care about you enough to get you outta this." </p><p>"My brother will." She says nearly inaudibly, a sharp whisper shuttered by chills. </p><p>"Oh, I'm sure he will, little Gordon." He agrees, nodding, his hand reaching out to gently run a knuckle across her cheek, his features soft before he suddenly turns, his features twisting, teeth gritting together, eyes nearly blacking out. "Just not alive." </p><p>He's smacking the duct tape over her mouth in the blink of an eye, his lip snarling at her before he reaches into his pocket, pulling his knife out, grinning at the sight of the fear in her eyes. </p><p>...Her pretty eyes… </p><p> The blade of the knife springs forward, his hand grabbing at her hair, forcing her head back. </p><p>She doesn't make a move to fight him, knowing that's what he wants, knowing the more she fights, the faster she bleeds out, the faster she passes out, the faster she dies, and the more satisfied he'll be. </p><p>"Pretty, pretty, pretty," he mumbles looking at the beads of sweat immulating across her skin, smearing her makeup, catalyzed by the remnants of tears. </p><p>Gia has to ball her fists to keep from trying to twist out of his grip when he runs his tongue along her jaw tasting her blood, sweat, and dried tears. </p><p>A move obviously made to get a rise out of her. </p><p>It works to the extent of her attempted recoil, squeezing her eyes together and trying to turn her head away, only yelping out a whimper when he tugs her face back in his direction. </p><p>"O be careful little eyes what you see," he hums to himself, pulling her right eye lid back, running the point of the blade along the inside of her top lash line, an uncontrollable sob escaping her as her blood drenched hand comes up to grab his wrist to try to control the hand that holds the knife. </p><p>An irritated stutter in his mind causes a lash out, his other hand snatching hers off of him, sneering out, "O be careful little hands what you do," slamming her palm flat against the floor of the elevator before severing her middle and index fingers. </p><p>The white hot sensation of the action causes her to scream loud enough that the duct tape lacks its purpose at muffling her cries. </p><p>"It slipped." He says to her, sarcastically, kicking the amputated digits aside with his foot.</p><p>She feels lightheaded at the sight, the realization that she's missing half of two of her fingers trying to punch through the adrenaline flushing her system for the time being, her mind trying not to go into melt down mode, but getting there faster and faster.</p><p>"Where's big brother, now?" He asks next, looking down at her, thinking of a thousand ways this could go.</p><p>What he could do. </p><p>What could he do? </p><p>Specially reserved for Jamesy's precious Gia?</p><p>Gia's past the point of stubborn pride at this point, crying and trying to plead through her restriction. </p><p>He slowly crouches once more, pulling the duct tape off of her mouth. </p><p>"O be careful little tongue what you say," he sing-songs next, taking his blooded knife prying her mouth open to wipe it off on her tongue, making her give out a throaty shriek, her body beginning to tremor as she gags. </p><p>"Shh, shh, shh," he soothes, his palm brushing over her hair, the knife still in her mouth. </p><p>"I really want you to remember how much your brother loves you, Gia." He tells her softly, sarcastically. "I've had you by the heels for over two hours now...I think if he were really concerned, he would've already been here—or at least sent the big bad Bat and his squeaky little bird boy down here." He adds. "All this waiting around is just pissing me off and making me bored." He says next. "Really, really, really, bored." Each "really" he presses the curve of the blade harder and harder against the roof of her mouth making her try to beg him as best as she can. </p><p>Before he can dig the knife into her nasal cavity, a swift thump sounds on the top of the elevator, causing him to give an exaggerated eye roll. </p><p>"You would come when I'm beginning to enjoy myself," he grits out, standing up as Gia's breathing begins to labor, her vision starting to blur just as the ceiling of the elevator is busted in.</p><hr/><p><strong>PRESENT</strong> </p><p>"Gia, it's your brother, this is the fourth time I've tried to call you. I'm beginning to worry." James says as Gia's phone goes to her answering machine. "You're unemployed, you're dying, you should be at home." He says next, sighing. "Call me back when you can." He hangs up, rubbing his forehead.</p><p>"She still hasn't called back?" Renee asks from where she's stepping past him to get to her office. </p><p>"No, she hasn't." He replies, breathing out. "She was supposed to stay with me while her boyfriend was outta town, but...I don't know, I guess she changed her mind." </p><p>"Or she went with her boyfriend." She suggests. </p><p>He furrows his brows, considering the possibility…</p><p>"Maybe." He says next before taking his phone, again, and calling her once more. </p><p>It rings until it goes to voice-mail again and he records a new message, "It's me again, clearly, if you're with Jason while I'm worrying where you're at, I'm gonna feel really stupid." He admits gruffly before hanging up once more. </p><p>Gia's unsteady hand grabs at her phone that's been ringing, seeing multiple missed calls from her brother along with some voice-mails. </p><p>She clicks the first voice message, met with the sound of her brothers voice on speaker phone:</p><p>"It's me again, clearly, if you're with Jason while I'm worrying where you're at, I'm gonna feel really stupid." </p><p>She closes her eyes, guilt and regret beginning to chew her alive as Joker lets out a deep chuckle.</p><p>"What did you do?" She repeats to the clown about her condition, beginning to get angry as her body buzzes. </p><p>"You know those insurance commercials? 'We know a thing or two because we've seen a thing or two'?" He asks her, his eyes still closed. </p><p>Gia realizes her grave mistake. </p><p>"What have you done?" She demands weakly, glaring at him. </p><p>"I imagine you'll ease off soon." He ignores her. </p><p>"E-Ease off?" She winces when she tries to stand up straight. "What have you done?!" </p><p>"What have <em>you</em> done, little Gordon?" He asks her, finally opening his eyes, looking at her. </p><p>Her phone rings once again. </p><p>"Might wanna answer that unless you want them to find out." He says next and she grimaces when she reaches out and sees that Jason's calling. </p><p>"Hello?" She answers as best as she can without sounding troubled, despite being in pain and afraid right now. </p><p>"Hey," he says. "You told me we needed to talk and then you never answered or texted me back." He recalls. </p><p>"Oh, yeah, I'm…" she has to catch her breath. "I'm okay, I just...umm…" she tries to think through her foggy mind. </p><p>"Are you okay?" He furrows his brows, hearing her sounding as if she's having a hard time breathing. </p><p>"I'm okay, just…" she trails off, holding back a sharp gasp when she feels a sudden pain in her lower abdomen. </p><p>"Gia." Jason says it sternly, starting to pay more attention to her, his ears trying to focus on the background to try to see if he can hear anything. </p><p>He doesn't. </p><p>"I'm okay, I just need you to do me a favor and I promise I will explain later." She gets out. </p><p>"What's going on?" He demands. </p><p>"If my brother calls you and asks about me, please tell him I'm with you." </p><p>"What?"</p><p>"I'm okay, I swear I'm okay, Jason, just please cover for me and I promise I will explain it when you get back." She assures him, gritting her teeth together. </p><p>He stays quiet for a moment before reluctantly agreeing. </p><p>"Okay." </p><p>"I love you." She says next, sniffling. "And I'll see you when you get back." </p><p>"I love you, too." He replies lowly.</p><p>They both hang up, and Gia's phone hits the counter when she tries to push herself to stand up straight. </p><p>She quickly realizes she's unable to at the moment. </p><p>Giving up, she helps herself down to the cold tile floor, dingey with dirt and blood from the Joker's work. </p><p>"What did you do?" She asks him again. </p><p>"I wonder how long we have to wait to see if it worked." He ignores her, standing up. </p><p>"What. Did. You. Do." Gia grits through her teeth. </p><p>"What you told me to do." He replies, cooly. </p><p>"What I told you to do didn't require you to take any blood samples." She argues as best as she can, her eyes trailed on the rotting ceiling. </p><p>"There were some...creative liberties taken…but for the most part I stuck to the plan."</p><p>"You bastard!" She bites out, sweat once again smearing down her forehead, attempting to force herself up. </p><p>"Ah, ah, ah," he cuts back, his foot colliding with her collar bone, keeping her on the floor, "That's what I detest about you women...so nice and sweet on the outside then when you don't get your way, even if it's a mere, unplanned inconvenience that still works in your favor, you all turn into Atilla the Hun." He hisses. "We know a thing or two because we've seen a thing or two." He repeats to himself, looking down at her, his eyes studying her face, narrowing at her. </p><p>His thumb goes to his tongue, wetting it, only to run it under her makeup smudged eyes, scraping the black pigment away, already telling a difference in the look and feel of her flesh. </p><p>Her cheeks don't look as sunken in, her eyes not as deep set…</p><p>He looks at her arm, seeing the generous slice he gave to the inside of her bicep while she was knocked out.  </p><p>It doesn't look as deep as he knows he made it, it doesn't look as irritated. </p><p>"He thinks there's test subjects, so if he finds out the truth, he's gonna wanna scan you to see if it worked." He says next. "You don't take one here. You go to your physician and have it taken there, even if it's improved, you tell Arkham it didn't work." </p><p>"Why?" </p><p>"Trust me, Jeremiah is one power trip away from stepping into that same realm that wacko doctor off that Human Centipede movie was snuggled up in." He warns her and she stares at him. </p><p>"I find it really hard to feel sorry for you if you are subjected to torture of that caliber."  She replies coldly. </p><p>"You think when he finds out the truth, he won't keep you in here, too?" Joker seemingly mocks her. </p><p>"Finds out what?" </p><p>"How do you think I stabilized it to keep it from boiling you from the inside out?" He refers to the venom and she tries to think about it, brown eyes shifting to the beheaded snake carcasses. "You can't kill a snake with it's own poison." He adds.</p><p>"That would never work." She shakes her head at what he's implying. </p><p>"I think you're underestimating my technique at engineering." </p><p>"I think you're overestimating the size of what you have packed in those psych-ward issued pants." She states. </p><p>"I don't know, am I?" He replies, furrowing his brows, narrowing his eyes at her. </p><p>"I'd rather submit myself to Arkham's on-coming, 'same realm that wacko doctor off that Human Centipede movie was snuggled up in,' phase." She states, rolling her jaw. </p><p>"Careful now. He might just hear you and take you up on it." He cautions her, and she looks at him pointedly before feeling nauseous.</p><p>"Also might wanna take into consideration you feel so shitty because you came in for your procedure today under the influence." He mocks a doctor's serious tone, scolding her, wagging his finger. "I imagine your inebriation is insurance so you can say I took advantage of you?" He asks next and she slowly turns her head to look at him. </p><p>He has to give her props. </p><p>She'd look like a demon possessed witch with such a hellacious look. </p><p>Gia knows where he's going with this, but he has no intention to stop. </p><p>He hasn't pushed her buttons in a long time. </p><p>"I broke out after catching word you were in talks with Dr. Arkham, you were drinking earlier to distract yourself from the fact you were getting eaten alive with cancer, and then on a whim I decided to drag you to the lab and try to finish what I started so many years ago?" He presses, all the times he's tried to kill her floating through his mind. "We get caught, you tell them you were drunk, I overpowered you…took advantage of you…" </p><p>Gia gnaws on her own teeth, grinding them together. </p><p>"...It's not like it'll be the first time those things have happened to you, anyway. Except maybe this time the G.C.P.D. won't vouch for the perpetrator since I'm not one of their very own boys in blue like the last one was." He keeps on. "And I didn't rape you and give you severally metastatic reproductive cancer." </p><p>Gia shakes, tears of pure, unadulterated hatred in her eyes as she glares at him. </p><p>"I heard he's still on the force, too." Joker lowers his voice. "Only transferred to a different district...I thought once they knew the truth, they'd surely lock him up...I guess when big brother takes the stand to testify against the accusation made by a Jane Doe who wanted anonymity…" his lips spread across his face, nearly ear to ear. "That's a kick to the metaphorical balls—being you didn't have enough real ones to really do anything about it at the time." He raises his brows. "I know, I know, 'Fuck you'." He mimics her voice. "Yeah, fuck me." He sarcastically spits as he puts his hands on his chest, motioning to himself before suddenly adding, "Would you even be able to do that without crying over P.T.S.D. and the unbearable feeling of your rotting snatch-tissue sloughing off in the process?" </p><p>There it is. The punchline she should have seen him building up. </p><p>Gia's lunging forward faster than she was expecting, faster than he expected.</p><hr/><p><strong>13 YEARS AGO</strong> </p><p>Bruce takes in a breath as Joker has Gia by her hair, her unconscious body limp as he presses the end of his gun to her temple. </p><p>"Put it down." Bruce snaps out and Joker grins. </p><p>"After all these years you really think I listen to orders given by you, Batsy?" The clown growls out. </p><p>"For your own safety, I suggest you put the gun down." Bruce clarifies. </p><p>"I wouldn't even have a need for the gun had you given me five more minutes." Joker points out.  </p><p>"Drop the gun." </p><p>Joker just pulls the hammer back on it, smiling as he replies, "persuade me." </p><p>The power comes back on and the elevator starts moving, the flickering of the lights giving Bruce enough time to hit the madman as hard as he can and the gun is abandoned before he's grabbing him by the hair, cackles emitting and reverberating off the elevator walls.</p><p>"Oh, Bats, you know how much I like it rough," Joker gets out, teeth bleeding from the impact of Bruce's punch as the elevator doors open on the next floor down and he's tossed into the hallway as the bat stalks to him, grabbing his throat.</p><p>"Your girlfriend's down stairs." Bruce informs him, bringing him up to eye level with him. </p><p>"Is that your version of, 'get in the van, there's candy in the back'?" Joker mocks him, giggling. </p><p>There's the familiar 'click,' and Bruce and Joker both look to the elevator that's still open, seeing Gia standing in the door of it, using the edge to hold herself up as she shallowly breathes, her shaking hand aiming the weapon at them. </p><p>"Drop the gun." Joker eerily yet humorously  deepens his voice to sound like Batman's.</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>PRESENT</strong>
</p><p>"It didn't work." Gia tells Arkham as he looks around the lab in dismay, Joker hiding a smirk as he's put in cuffs by an orderly. </p><p>"It didn't work?" Jeremiah's voice hardens, taking his handkerchief out of his pocket to put over his nose at the sharp smell of dead snakes. </p><p>"I'm sorry I wasted time and resources." Gia tells him calmly, her voice breaking slightly. </p><p>"It's alright," He assures her, furrowing his brows, his eyes catching on her bloodied clothes...evidence of the slaughter that took place. </p><p>Gia can't help but wonder why the guards that could clearly see what took place didn't try to stop it...or tell Arkaham. </p><p>She gets her answer when the guards give Joker a knowing look, and he returns it. </p><p>Of course. </p><p>"Where's the test subjects?" The doctor asks next, raising his brows. </p><p>"What?" Gia wasn't expecting that question. </p><p>"We fed them to the snakes." Joker replies quickly. </p><p>Arkham takes note of no evidence of mice—no cages, no tanks, just the wooden crates the snakes were transported in. </p><p>He looks down at the dead reptiles. </p><p>They hadn't eaten before death.</p><p> None of them have the obvious lump of a meal in them.</p><p>Joker notices him studying the animals with his eyes, guessing what's on his mind before his blank eyes are giving a look to Gia. </p><p>She meets his eyes, bruising from her fingers that were wrapped around his throat moments earlier, catching her gaze for a second. </p><p>"I should be going." She says softly to Jeremiah. "My brother will wonder where I'm at since I haven't been taking his calls." </p><p>"Yes, of course." He nods.</p><p>"But thank you for the opportunity." She adds, eyes back on the clown and he clears his throat, making a show of arrogantly awaiting her gratitude for saving her life.</p><p>"Go fuck yourself." She says instead, confident in his restraints or else she admittedly wouldn't have said such a brazen thing to him. </p><p>He knew she'd go that route. </p><p>"Maybe you can finally do the same without discomfort." He retorts. "Well…" he rethinks it, picking at her the best he can while he still has her here. </p><p>"Go to hell." She grits out. </p><p>"Poking a pretty big bear, little Gordon." He warns, his eyes cutting her. </p><p>"Yeah." She harshly scoffs, looking at him with his hands bound, his feet chained together…"You look pretty big right now." She smartly adds.</p><p>The taunting grin falls from his face, his features hardening, tense. </p><p>She sees him shaking slightly, and turns her back on him, and heads to the door of the lab before she's walked to the lobby by an orderly. </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. CHAPTER EIGHT</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>WARNING:<br/>— EXPLICIT LANGUAGE<br/>—SEXUAL SITUATIONS</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <strong>CHAPTER EIGHT</strong>
  </em>
</p><p>Sharp gasps flicker through the apartment, the only light coming from that of the city that's glowing in from down below, through the smog. </p><p>Fingernails bite into a sweat-slickened back, clawing down, causing teeth to grit together and only motivating a heavier drive between thighs, moans and whispers carrying the name, "Jason," being reaped as a result. </p><p>His hands wrap around her wrists, pinning them above her head, his tongue running along the damp skin of her neck, her back arching underneath him. </p><p>For the first time in a while the both of them are consumed completely with euphoria, their bodies desperate and hungry to devour the other as he keeps up his brutal pace and pressure and she meets him with each stroke, taking everything he's willing to give to her. </p><p>Her legs wrap around him, her eyes squeezing together as she feels her ending near...before Jason stop abruptly, and opts to attempt to get away from her. </p><p>She opens her eyes and screams at the sight, unwrapping herself from around him, horrified. </p><p>Moments later, Jason winces as he grips the edge of the bathroom counter, his head pounding as his blood pressure is practically ringing it's tapping-out bell, Gia's brows are knitted together where she's standing in his t-shirt, concerned, her own breathing is heavy as she worriedly looks at him in the mirror as he examines himself. </p><p>A ring of bright red bruising where her legs were wrapped around him is prominent around his hips, the color beginning to resurface in his skin that had begun to turn blue. </p><p>It happened in the speed of light, at least it appeared that way to him. </p><p>He rolls his jaw as he looks in the mirror at her. </p><p>"What the hell did you do, Gia?" He asks her, as calmly as he can. </p><p>He knows it's simply not just that she went through with her work and used snake venom to cure her illness. </p><p>It wouldn't have done what it's clearly done to her had that been the case. </p><p>It wouldn't have easily undone her signs of dying—that quickly, it wouldn't have completely eradicated her body of cancer in that short amount of time. </p><p>When he left she was on the brink of death. </p><p>He comes back a couple days later and she's waving a copy of  her clear body scan at him while looking freshly created. </p><p>As if God himself took an eraser to her and rebuilt what should have been in the first place. </p><p>Then when things get physical between them for the first time in months, she wraps her legs around him in the throws of passion and constricts him, not even realizing what she was doing exactly until he was turning blue. </p><p>Jason can see from the look on her face that he's right. She left a detail or two out of her miraculous recovery story. </p><p>But in her defense, her "partner" in this also left a detail or two out. </p><p>"I can explain." She finally tells him, quietly. "I think." She adds, trying to remember what the Joker had told her briefly. </p><p>Very briefly. </p><p>She squeezes her eyes closed, fishing for what exactly he had told her. </p><p>"How do you think I stabilized it to keep it from boiling you from the inside out…" she mumbles to herself, remembering what he was getting at. </p><p>"What?" Jason asks her, confused. </p><p>"The snake venom," she states. </p><p>"Yeah? What about it?" </p><p>"I thought since one breed of snake wasn't helping anything like it should have, I decided to mix their venom together." She explains, unconfident in her words because, again, she's just assuming that's what Joker had to have done. </p><p>"What?" Jason looks at her as if she's crazy. </p><p>"And then...um...I was like, 'well, snakes can't be poisoned by their own venom because their blood has antibodies to it,' so I got blood samples from each of them and...mixed that together...as well…" she realizes how incredibly stupid and dangerous it sounds. "...And then administered it." She finishes. </p><p>Jason looks perplexed. He is perplexed. To the point that he can't quite make sense of it. </p><p>"I don't know why I thought of it but I did because I clearly have no sense. Or plan. Or care." She adds next, secretly talking about the Joker, glad he's not here to bask in the glory of his aftermath. </p><p>Not yet, at least. </p><p>But then again, that's a given. </p><p>"That doesn't make any sense." He finally speaks. "How does that even work? That wouldn't work." </p><p>"I-I don't know how he did it but it worked." She says quickly, not realizing she threw "he" in there. </p><p>Jason's eyes cut. </p><p>"He?" </p><p>"What?" </p><p>"You said, 'I don't know how he did it but it worked'. Who helped you?" He questions next and she panicks. </p><p>"Dr. Arkham." She lies. </p><p>This confuses Jason even more. </p><p>"What?" </p><p>"Bruce didn't tell you?" She makes an attempt to cover her mistake. "I moved my research to Arkham Asylum's lab since I was fired." She explains and Jason raises a brow. </p><p>"So you let that creep Jeremiah help you do this? And you trusted him?!" </p><p>"I didn't trust him per se—"</p><p>"—This could kill you, Gia!" Jason raises his voice, worry shackleing itself to him. </p><p>"I was going to die anyway, Jason." She reminds him and he shakes his head a little. "And besides, if it was going to kill me it would have by now." She points out. </p><p>"Who knows about this?" He questions next. </p><p>"Nobody else." She shakes her head. </p><p>"Just you and Arkham?" He asks next, raising his brows. </p><p>"He doesn't know it worked." She admits next. </p><p>"What do you mean he doesn't know?" </p><p>"He doesn't know it worked. I told him it didn't work so he wouldn't do some freaky weird experimentation or something." She says next. </p><p>"Okay, and letting him pump you full of fucking snake blood and poison isn't freaky, weird, experimentation?" He argues.  </p><p>"Jason, it worked." She disregards him and he breathes out, irritated that she's trying to change the subject. </p><p>"Yeah, it worked. I guess. It worked." He pushes past her, feeling his body beginning to recover, the bruise faded slightly. </p><p>"Are you angry at me, now?" She follows him. </p><p>"What do you think?" He hisses, pulling his clothes on. </p><p>"It's two in the morning, where are you going?" She questions. </p><p>"Where do you think?" He replies. </p><p>"Can you just give me a straight answer?!" </p><p>He doesn't respond. </p><p>"At least I came home after it was over, Jason." She keeps going. "The both of us have been given second chances by miraculous occurrences that have no reasonable explanation but I'm the only one who actually came back once I got healed." </p><p>Jason stops pulling his boots on, turning to face her. </p><p>"What did you just say?" He grits out, narrowing his eyes at her. </p><p>"I got fixed and came home." She repeats herself, unwavering. </p><p>He stands up, rolling his jaw as he walks to her, her feet taking backward steps until her back hits the wall behind her, Jason's arm extending so his hand rests on the drywall beside her head, his teeth gritting together. </p><p>"You were brought back six months after you died." She reminds him. </p><p>"Then I was in the hospital as a John Doe until I was located and restored in the Lazarus pit." He replies in the same tone. "And then I remembered who I was, and I came back, Gia." </p><p>"No, no, you rolled around in the sheets with Talia for several years while bulking up your training catalog to do something about your grudge for Bruce, and then finally came home when you were good and ready. You weren't thinking about me. You weren't thinking about your family. You weren't thinking about anybody but yourself and your own pride." She states. </p><p>"Well you had no problem with it when I came back, so I don't know why you're trying to use it against me now that you've gone and done something stupid." He snaps, pushing off the wall, going back to put his shoes on. </p><p>"I had no problem with it then because I missed you. And I loved you, and I was just relieved and happy and hopeful that you were even alive. Which is how I thought you would react to me not dying from cancer anymore, but I was wrong. Clearly."</p><p>"You don't know what you've done do you?" Jason asks her. "You can't play God and expect it to not reap consequences, Gia. I'm not upset that you're no longer dying. I am happy and relieved but I also know that when it's that easy to reverse death—or oncoming, inevitable death—when it shouldn't be that easy, there's a cost. An expensive one. I don't think you're ready to have to pay up." He tells her, honestly...weakly, before he heads to the window. </p><p>"Where are you going, Jason?" She asks him, trying to calm down but can't hold back the tears that line her lashes. </p><p>"To think." He tells her and she huffs out and rolls her eyes, closing them for a moment, wiping the tears that roll down her cheeks.</p><p>Neither of them say another word as he leaves, slamming the window shut.</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>13 YEARS AGO</strong>
</p><p>"She's got a bad cut on her stomach, and keep these on ice," Batgirl says as she hands over Gia's two severed fingers to the paramedics. </p><p>"On it." They assure her, Batman putting Gia's unconscious body on the gurney, furrowing his brows at the slice the Joker made into the inner part of her bicep. </p><p>"A deep cut on her arm there, too." He adds to them, pointing to it as they hurriedly start wrapping her in pressure bandages. </p><p>James is frantically approaching the emergency vehicle after seeing to it that the Joker is safely apprehended, Batman blocking him. </p><p>"She's alright, they're working on it." He tells him.</p><p>"Working on it? On what? What happened?" Jim demands, trying to get past him. </p><p>"They're taking her to Gotham General, she'll be fine." He repeats. </p><p>"What happened in there?" Gordon sternly forces out. </p><p>"She's bleeding out. Her abdomen is badly cut up, she's missing two fingers." He honestly answers. </p><p>Jim can't fathom how he could let this happen to his own little sister. </p><p>"She was only put in that position because of me—"</p><p>"—Joker isn't strategic with his harassment. He would have gotten to her sooner or later, whenever he felt the need to." </p><p>"He went after her intentionally, this time. He hunted her down." Jim snaps. "And all because I couldn't just turn a blind eye to his warrant-riddled girlfriend that we finally pin pointed." He seemingly scolds himself in his words. </p><p>"You did the right thing—"</p><p>"—The right thing almost got my sister killed...it did get her traumatized." He shakes his head. </p><p>"She'll be alright." Bruce assures him. </p><p>"Next time I won't play cat and mouse!" The Joker barks from the back seat of the patrol car. "I'll just slit her throat first thing!" </p><p>"Don't bother." Bruce warns Jim, noticing the way he glares at the clown angrily, tears in his eyes. </p><p>Resentment and pure hatred being radiated to the assailant. </p><p>At Gotham General, Jason Todd is wincing as he's being examined, Dick—now changed out of his Nightwing suit—in the emergency room with him. </p><p>"The bullet went clean through." The doctor assures them. </p><p>"No shit." Jason grumbles. "I coulda told you that." </p><p>"Jason." Dick says to him, furrowing his brows. </p><p>"We've got the bleeding to slow down, I'll be back in here to take you to fix you back up shortly." The doctor ignores Jason's snide remarks and gives them a curt smile and nod, leaving them. </p><p>"He got away with her because of you." Jason says to his older brother, trying to ignore the pain from the bullet hole in him. </p><p>"Well, Jason, my options were pretty damn limited—"</p><p>"—Your options were me or her and you fucking chose the wrong one." Jason argues. </p><p>"Bruce and Barbara were on it. I knew they were. I knew she would be safe. You, however, would have died from hitting the ground that high up. I couldn't risk that." </p><p>"I would have." Jason mumbles. </p><p>"Well, we can't all be Captain Impulsive like you, Jason." Dick replies. </p><p>"Right, so you subject my girlfriend to mental torture that will probably keep her screwed up for several years if not her whole life." </p><p>"She's not dead, Jason." Dick states. </p><p>"Yeah, I got that part, Dick. That's not my fucking point."</p><p>Dick stays quiet for a few minutes, the two of them silently glancing around the room, not wanting to get into too big of a fight right now. </p><p>"She's going to be okay. You're going to be okay. It was a close call but you're both okay. That's a small victory over him. Just focus on that." Richard finally says to Jason, like a promise. </p><p>
  <strong>ONE MONTH LATER</strong>
</p><p>"Good as new, huh?" James asks Gia as she tries to get her reattached fingers to bend with the rest of her hand. They bend, just taking a little longer than the others, and a bit more stiff than the others. </p><p>"Kind of." She mumbles, frowning in distaste. </p><p>"I told you when you moved here you'd have to be scrappy." He adds, trying to lighten the mood a little as he stops at a red light. </p><p>Her eyes are focused on the obvious scar across her middle and index finger on her left hand where Joker severed them. </p><p>"How am I gonna do my job with two fingers that can't work right?" She asks him, frustrated. </p><p>"Well, Doc said he expects you to have full function of them within the next year, maybe sooner." Jim reminds her. "And they're not bad off as it is, they just require a little more work, is all." </p><p>"Yeah, I guess." She shrugs, exhaling. </p><p>James looks at her for a second, feeling guilty once again for putting her in that position…</p><p>"Gia, can I ask you something?" He asks her when they eventually get to Wayne Manor. </p><p>"What's up?" She replies, looking at him with raised brows. </p><p>"Uh, what happened with…" he trails off, not exactly knowing how to say it but she knows what he means. </p><p>"Yes," she says and he takes a breath. </p><p>"...If you ever need to talk about it, you know you can come to me...I know you might not want to talk about it but—"</p><p>"I know." She assures him. "There's just nothing worth talking about." She adds. </p><p>Jim knows she's bluffing, but leaves it at that. </p><p>"Jason's gonna drive me home." She tells him as she opens the car door. </p><p>"Try to be in by midnight." He says and she nods. </p><p>"Got it. Love you." She steps out of the car. </p><p>"I love you, too." He replies before she shuts the door and heads inside. </p><p>Once she gets inside, she immediately notices that Alfred isn't greeting her like he's always done.</p><p>"Hello?!" She calls out, her voice echoing off the walls. "Jason?!"</p><p>Jason's finishing his glass of water in the kitchen, trying to catch his breath after his workout, his hair dripping with sweat, his body aching and tired when he hears Gia. </p><p>He puts the glass in the sink and heads to the foyer to get her. </p><p>"Hey," he says to her and she smiles as he approaches her. </p><p>"Where's everybody at?" She asks him as he leans down and kisses her chastely.</p><p>"Alfred and Bruce are out." He tells her. It's not a complete lie. </p><p>They aren't in the house. </p><p>Just under it. </p><p>"Ohh," she nods.</p><p>"I'm about to go get a shower." He says to her. "Then we're going somewhere." </p><p>"Last time we tried that you ended up almost dying." She reminds him, apprehensively. "And I lost two fingers." She adds. </p><p>"We're not going out, we're going somewhere. There's a difference." He points out. </p><p>"Right." She says, unsure, as he kisses her cheek and heads up the stairs.</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>PRESENT</strong>
</p><p>Gia turns over in bed once again, opting to throw her pillow that is suddenly not comfy enough for her. </p><p>She looks at the clock, seeing it's nearly five in the morning and Jason still isn't back.</p><p>"Fuck." She mumbles to herself, wishing she wouldn't have sent Rambo off to stay with Barbara and Dick for a couple of days. </p><p>"If he were here he'd flip his shit on you." She reminds herself, recalling the way he nearly ripped into her when he first saw her after she returned from Arkham, barking, growling, and snapping…</p><p>At first she thought it was because she didn't smell like death and he wasn't used to it. </p><p>But now, something darker is beginning to sprout within her and she can feel it. </p><p>Not dark in the sense of mentality or possession—nothing that holds a flame to the batshit wonders of Gotham—but physically. </p><p>She's not blind to the fact she looks how she did before she got sick, maybe even a little better. Her cancer has clearly evaporated into thin air...she's stronger. Jason's a testament of that. </p><p>The more Gia thinks about it, the more she digs.</p><p>When she'd gone for Joker's throat, she thought she was fast out of adrenaline. </p><p>But it was as if in the blink of an eye she was on him. </p><p>Maybe…</p><p>The thought is absurd.</p><p>There's no way she could have anything more given to her other than her cancer being cured through the use of venom. </p><p>But he didn't just use venom, did he? She asks herself, her curiosity genuinely piqued. </p><p>At this point, she's more afraid of anybody finding out who really helped her, than she is of what she's done to herself. </p><p>Her mind goes to her brother. She hasn't told him she's cancer free, and she contemplates waiting a little longer to tell him, or not. </p><p>The irritation and horror she feels in regards to now being indebted to the Joker makes her feel a sharp nausea in her gut. </p><p>Maybe she should wait before she tells anyone else, just in case she pisses the slimy bastard off. </p><p>He probably has a little button he can just press and it automatically undoes whatever he's done to her, or he'll tell her brother himself before she can. Or worse, he'll tell Jason. </p><p>While Gia's oncoming epiphany begins to take it's toll, Jason's rummaging through Gia's old lab at Wayne Biotech, sifting through the small room off the lab, filled with files and research, brows furrowed together as he attempts to find any copies of Gia's work that she left behind, trying to make sense of what she's disclosed to him. </p><p>It doesn't shock him, that's hard to do considering the things he's seen happen in this city, and things he's gone through himself.</p><p>Logic has never been one of Gotham's strong suits…</p><p>But that shouldn't apply to Gia. </p><p>She's always been logical, for as long as he's known her, at least. Of course she went off the path a couple of time in the past several months but he's always put that on the fact she was sick. </p><p>You're allowed to lose logic when you know you're dying and there's not much left for you to do to stop it. </p><p>And now she's dug a hole for herself with the help of Dr. Fucking Arkham. </p><p>His skin crawls at the idea of her working with him. </p><p>He's heard rumors, none of which were able to be proven as true or false...the fact Gia allowed him to take advantage of her hard work while she was in a vulnerable state makes his blood boil. </p><p>Jeremiah knew she was sick—he had to have known. People talk too much for him not to have known.</p><p>Not to mention she looked sick. A stranger could see her and tell she was sick past the point of return. So why the hell did a doctor—supposedly ethical in all of which he does—not only encourage such a dangerous thought, but to enable it? To be the one to pull the trigger? </p><p>Part of him wants to go to Arkham and beat the shit out of the sick fuck. </p><p>Another part wants to take this to Gordon and have Jeremiah slammed with counts of endangerment and malpractice—possible attempted murder, even. Have his establishment shut down for the time being, strip him of his licensing…</p><p>But Gia would go down, too, possibly. </p><p>If Jeremiah were to get a good enough lawyer to prove Gia was of sound mind when making the decision to do it. </p><p>Option two was out of the window. </p><p>He slams the filing cabinets shut, realizing he's getting nowhere with this, but not wanting to go back home just yet, either. </p>
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<a name="section0010"><h2>10. CHAPTER NINE</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>WARNINGS:<br/>- EXPLICIT LANGUAGE</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <strong>CHAPTER NINE</strong>
  </em>
</p><p>"...Miami?" Jim asks as he furrows his brows as he holds the phone to his ear, questioning whether he heard his sister correctly. </p><p>Gia raises her brows and winces on the other end on the line, knocking her head into chipped white brick of Arkham Asylum's outward shell a couple of times in silence. </p><p>"Yeah." She says to him. "We're um...having fun and just trying to catch our breath from Gotham." </p><p>"You've been having fun and catching your breath from Gotham for two weeks now, Gia." Jim chuckles, trying to mask his worry. "Not to mention your lack of phone calls and check ins, despite me constantly trying to get ahold of you." </p><p>"I know the first few days were spotty with that but I had bad service, I guess." She shrugs.</p><p>James sighs, rubbing the back of his neck as he leans back in the chair seated at his kitchen table. </p><p>"How're you feeling?" He asks next. </p><p>"Not too bad, not too good." She lies like she has been this entire conversation. </p><p>"I don't like you being down there so far away. If anything happens…" he starts, unable to finish, just shaking his head, and Gia rubs her lips together. </p><p>"...Jason's here." She says optimistically, hoping to reassure him. "I'm not by myself. He's looking out for me." </p><p>Jim stays quiet for a moment. </p><p>"You there?" Gia asks. </p><p>"Yeah, I'm here." He answers. "Just, please, get home safe...whenever you do come back." </p><p>"I will, I promise." She replies. </p><p>"Alright, I'll talk to you later. I love you." </p><p>"Love you, too." </p><p>"Bye, Gia." </p><p>"Bye." </p><p>Something, a little itch of doubt plants itself in Jim, not certain doubt—but an inkling that something isn't quite right. </p><p>He shakes it off, deciding he's so high strung over the situation at the moment that he's paranoid. </p><p>If something were wrong, Gia would tell him.</p><p>He decides that and sits back up, pulling the breakfast his wife made, back to his attention. </p><p>Gia just  lets out a loud groan, her hands grabbing at the hair on her head, already exhausted with lying to people. </p><p>Jason's under the impression Jeremiah Arkham is the one who helped her do all this to herself, Jim's under the impression that she and Jason are still out of town...two weeks after Jason actually came back home, and Gia has nearly lied to herself enough that she's beginning to huddle under the impression that nothing odd is going on with her. </p><p>Rambo's back home, sort of. </p><p>He refuses to get close to Gia unless Jason's in the room. </p><p>He whines and growls at her, confusing her, and himself. It's like he misses her, but doesn't want to be around her, either, and Jason's not acting much different than the dog. </p><p>Gia tucks her phone into her back pocket before stepping into the Asylum, going through security check before stepping to the front desk of reception. </p><p>"Here to see Dr. Arkham, again?" She asks calmly, raising her brows. </p><p>"I actually need a visitation form." Gia replies. </p><p>"Okay, and who are you visiting today?" The woman clicks a couple of times on the computer and the printer beside her fires up. </p><p>Gia hesitates to respond as she hands her the form and a pen. </p><p>"The Joker." She finally says it, an ill tension smacking back at her as the receptionist and security officers look at her. </p><p>"...Fill that out and I will let Dr. Arkham know." The receptionist says back to her as Gia fills out the visitation form that requires the visitors name, date of birth, the name of the patient they're visiting, the patient's doctor they're under at the institution, and proof of I.D.. </p><p>Once it's completed and she shows her her license, Gia's putting her things in the plastic bin that's handed over to her, and waiting.</p><p>"Dr. Arkham's left early for a meeting out of town," the receptionist says next, "He oversees the visitations with our high-risk patients. Is there any way you can come back another time?" </p><p>"That's not an option." Gia tells her, honestly. "I'm only able to see him today."</p><p>The woman blinks at Gia, seemingly irritated, but fakes a smile. </p><p>"I will see if Dr. Leland is able to do it." She says next. </p><p>"Great." Gia passive aggressively smiles back politely, resisting the urge to roll her eyes at the woman's demeanor. </p><hr/><p>The Joker walks his fingers up the wall of concrete beside his rinky "bed," an arm behind his head, his mind at as much ease as it can be. </p><p>Until he hears the familiar clicking steps of Leland's unnecessarily loud heels. </p><p>What is it with these doctors wearing heels to work? </p><p>Do they not understand how tempting it is to not use the damn things as stabbing mechanisms to some of these kooks?</p><p>"Joker," she says to him neutrally, his eyes glancing at her from their corners before looking up at the ceiling the way he had been. "You've got company." She adds. </p><p>"If it's Harley again, I'm going to barbecue you." He states in a promising tone. </p><p>"Harleen's not here. You know that." She replies.</p><p>"Oh, Joanie, then whoever could it be?" He asks sarcastically, fingers crossed that it's Batbrain. </p><p>She doesn't even bother to answer, taking a step back as his door is unlocked with a loud buzz, guards immediately pinning him when he steps out cooperatively, smiling slyly at Dr. Leland as they shackle him down in wrist and ankle chains. </p><p>"Behave." Leland warns him as they start towards the corridor that will take them to the visitation room. </p><p>"You gonna spank me if I don't?" He asks and she glares at him as they get to their destination, chairs and counters partitioned from one another, plexi glass separating visitor from patient, phones on the partitions…</p><p>"Ms. Gordon, they're ready." The receptionist tells her and she nods, an orderly stepping to her to lead her back. </p><p>Her feet feel cemented to the floor when she sees leery eyes taking her in, a knowing, smug smile, exposing a toothy look of pride. </p><p>He always looks proud of himself when he can make someone squirm, and right now he's got her in a position that makes her appear like a nightcrawler—those wiggly, cowardly worms that hide as much as they can in the daylight and panic when they're remotely exposed to predators in the light. </p><p>That's always been Gia. </p><p>He whistles at her, further egging on her discomfort, taking a sharp breath inward. </p><p>She cautiously sits down, picking up the phone as he does. </p><p>"Got all dolled up to come see me?" He asks her, taking note of her dedication to her lie, shadow cast around her eyes as if she were still sick, but he knows better. </p><p>They don't. </p><p>Another thing he notices is her heels...that's one of the reasons she's always been easy to catch—she's had to take her shoes off to properly run from him and it's always given him time to catch her before she could. </p><p>"You feel any better?" He adds knowingly, and she tries to swallow the lump in her throat. </p><p>"You did something." She states, trying to sound as solid as she can. "And you know you did." </p><p>"Exactly what did I do?" He questions, raising a brow. </p><p>"I'm not playing games, Joker." She tells him. </p><p>"I told you exactly what I did, little Gordon." He replies, his features sinking to mock her, corners of his mouth pulling downward. "I worked hard to get you all better and you're not happy with it?" </p><p>Gia rolls her jaw at him, and he decides to loop her in on her part of the deal they made.</p><p>"There is something taking place here, as I've mentioned before…" he says quietly, nearly mouthing the words, the echoing hissing whisper following slightly behind in the receiver of the phone, and she has to concentrate to hear what he's saying. "Arkham and his patients." He adds, recalling to her what he had informed her about Jeremiah's potential malpractice. </p><p>"What about it?" She questions, careful to attempt to be quiet like him. </p><p>"My attempt to get in his good graces for personal gain has put me in a compromising position that leaves me with no other choice but to ask a favor of you." He informs her, leaning forward and she fights the urge to lean back, feeling he's too close despite the glass separating them. </p><p>"You try to stay in people's good graces?" She asks, raising a brow, the concept not matching up with Joker's usual chaotic philosophy.</p><p>"Did you not hear the bit about 'personal gain'?" He cuts his eyes. "Just as dense as big brother, I see." He adds and she rolls her jaw. "I have assured the doctor that I can get him some new test subjects. And I can. But, as you can see, I'm somewhat compromised."</p><p>"You can get out whenever you want to."</p><p>"Yeah."</p><p>"So, get out and do it yourself." </p><p>"No, no, people know me. They know I'm coming, they run, and I don't have the time to chase after them, but the ones stupid enough to stick around aren't any fun to catch." He raises his brows, slowly smirking at her. "You, however," he puts his fingers across the glass in a square as if taking a mental picture, closing one eye to capture the vision, making her shift uncomfortably in her seat. "Have a way of reeling in the really mean, lean, bored machines." He points. </p><p>"Like you?" She questions gruffly, referring to being in his top five people to reign hell down on for years now. </p><p>"Like <em>him</em>." He turns it around on her, bringing her trauma back up and striking her in the same tender, bruised spot in her being. "And those like him."</p><p>"I don't do sting operations." She states. </p><p>"Oh, yes you do." He argues. "Do we really need a play by play on how exactly loverboy came to be pureed in the first place?"  He explains, glad he decided not to slash her face when he considered it the night he got rid of Jason because it was about to come in handy, now. </p><p>Her face falls at the recollection, a heavy sickness, pungent, rising in her throat. </p><p>"I've already gotten some arrangements prepared for this. Some friends will take care of the cargo, you just deliver it to them." He goes back to his main point.</p><p>"And if I decide I don't want to do this?" She asks him bitterly. </p><p>"There's no option." He tells her. "You're on a leash until I see your debt has been paid in full." </p><p>"I'm not intimidated by you, anymore. I've got my own protection now, remember? Pretty pissed of protection, especially to you." </p><p>Joker takes in a breath and runs his tongue along his teeth, seeing that Gia clearly thinks she's got a one up on him by hiding behind her vigilante just like she always has. </p><p>"You think he'd waste his energy covering you if he knew the truth, little Gordon?" </p><p>It's clear he's not talking about her going to him for help. </p><p>"He wouldn't believe you." </p><p>He blinks for a few moments, quickly taking a breath and changing the subject so suddenly it gives her mental whiplash. </p><p>"You know why Arkham was so willing to let you have your go at it?" He asks in reference to Jeremiah allowing them to run their experiment. "He's been harking on and on about genetic mutilation and rebuilding through the use of cross-genetics and your little reckless endeavor had him nearly blowing his load in his pants at the opportunity because he's already fantasized about getting to put Serpentes DNA where it doesn't belong. Had a whole case prepared and everything—even some other species' DNA samples on hand." He explains to her and she furrows her brows in confusion. "Now that I think about it," he says next, looking as though he's thinking, but she knows he's not. He's being dramatic to further impact the blow he's about to land. "When I put you to sleep, I needed some extra guidance, and you weren't awake to tell me what I needed to know so I looked at a few of your notes from your case file." </p><p>Another pause passes. </p><p>"...Come to think of it, dear, I do believe I accidentally looked at Jeremiah's instead, though…" </p><p>In less than the blink of an eye, Gia's punching the plexiglass, causing the unshatterable solid to indeed shatter, her hand going straight through to grab Joker's collar on his Arkham jumpsuit.</p><p>Yells abrupt from the guards, Gia screaming profanities at the clown as orderlies attempt to pry them apart, but her grip is unwavering, until the taser comes out. </p><p>Joker is pleasantly surprised...joyously surprised...completely and utterly tickled with the realization that he's created yet another monster to be unleashed.</p><p>His usual cackle that begins quietly before moderately escalating to a shrieking hyena's squall, is skipping the build up altogether, his signature shrill sharply echoing off the walls abruptly as Gia's body spasms due to the electrical voltage that was shot through her, the metal darks clasped into her skin through her clothes. </p><hr/><p>She lets out a tired breath from behind the bars of the holding cell in the precinct as Jim slams his car door after being called in by Renee on his day off. </p><p>He gets inside and furrows his brows at the detective.</p><p>"Where is she at?" He asks. </p><p>"Holding." She responds, walking him to the bondsman's desk. </p><p>"I don't think that was necessary, Montoya." He replies. </p><p>"We don't give special treatments here, Jim, you know that. She committed a crime, she's treated like she committed a crime. Even if she is your sister." She replies. </p><p>He doesn't argue because he's the one who's cracked down on them giving too much leeway to people that they know personally, coming in. </p><p>"Just let me talk to her." He says next. </p><p>"You're the boss, you do what you want." She shrugs. </p><p>He grabs the keys and steps to the hallway that the holding cells are in. </p><p>She's laying on the little bench, staring up at the ceiling, and he rests his arms on the bars, exhaling. </p><p>Gia just glances at him from the corner of her eyes before tears skim her eyelashes.</p><p>"Miami, huh?" He asks and she closes her eyes, swallowing the lump in her throat. "What the hell were you doing at Arkham, Gia?" </p><p>She doesn't answer. </p><p>"Why did you lie to me about being out of town?" </p><p>Again, she doesn't answer. </p><p>"Something has happened." She says next, her heart hammering in her chest. </p><p>"You call and tell me you've been in Miami the last few weeks, then I get a phone call saying you're in town, you've been locked up—having to be tazed beforehand for assaulting a patient at Arkham Asylum, so yes, Gia, I completely agree. Something has happened." He nods, trying to keep his cool. "So, you tell me exactly what has happened and I'll consider not calling Jason to come bail you out because I'm sure he would love to know exactly what's happening right now." He threatens. </p><p>She doesn't say a word, keeping silent.</p><p>"Gia." He snaps, getting angrier as she mentally blocks him out.</p><p>He shakes his head, biting his teeth together before turning.</p><p>"You have one phone call." He informs her.  "Let us know you want to use it."</p>
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